


Pain In The Neck

by AnitaPlant



Category: Rizzoli & Isles
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-22
Updated: 2013-05-30
Packaged: 2017-12-03 06:16:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 35
Words: 85,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/695142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnitaPlant/pseuds/AnitaPlant
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jane has a pain in her neck.  Maura offers to alleviate the tension.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own anything. Just borrowing the characters for a little fun. Hope you enjoy!

Maura barely had time to get her key out of the lock before Jane brushed past her on the way to the kitchen. The detective stopped briefly to remove her gun and badge, placing them in the drawer Maura reserved for her, careful to make sure the safety was secure. Closing her eyes for a moment, Jane braced herself with both arms on the countertop. Relieved of the weight of her firearm, both physically and mentally, the detective's body visibly relaxed as she let out a long puff of air. Sometimes the job wore her down so much that she wondered why she kept doing it.

Maura methodically hung up her coat after making sure the deadbolt was secure and grabbed Jane's hastily discarded blazer from the chair, smoothing it out before hanging it next to hers in the closet. It was odd that Jane declined Frost's offer of drinks at the Robber tonight. The doctor worried about her friend. She had been stressed all week about their current case, and even with the arrest today, she still seemed more agitated than usual.

"Hey, Maur? Do you think I could get into that spa you took me to last year for a massage? I really screwed up my neck when we took down that suspect earlier today." Jane said on her way to the refrigerator, pulling out one of the beers Maura stocked for her. Jane smiled a little to herself on her way into the living room at the thought that popped into her head. A drawer AND beer? Maura treated her better than her last boyfriend.

Maura huffed out an exasperated response, "Of course not, Jane. You have to schedule appointments weeks in advance at that spa." Jane looked at her and rolled her eyes at the honey blond in frustration. "Who the hell plans when they are going to throw their neck out of whack?" Jane winced as she plopped onto the couch. The lanky detective tried to alleviate some of the pain by rubbing at the tender area between her shoulder blades.

Maura shook her head at the dark haired detective. "Jane, you might benefit from preemptive massage therapy. That, combined with better posture," she narrowed her eyes at the slumped-down woman on the couch, "would promote better alignment of your spine and decrease strain on the associated musculature."

"Jeez, thanks for your insights, doc." Jane said as she took a long draw from her beer. "But that's not going to do me a damn bit of good right now." Jane thought for a moment before coming up with another idea. "Maybe I could just run down to the mall and have one of those people that set up shop in the middle of the atrium work me over in one of those chairs."

"Oh, dear god…no!" Maura choked on the pinot she had just taken a sip of as she joined the detective on the couch. "I would seriously question the cleanliness of those chairs, let alone the credentials of the operators." Maura continued to ponder for a moment at the thought of Jane's face plastered in one of those horrible chairs. "Besides, I would think you would find it hard to relax in one of those chairs and really let yourself enjoy the release that you truly need in such a public place."

Jane turned to look at the other woman directly in the eyes. "Jesus, Maura. I just want to get rid of the kink in my neck. What kind of 'release' did you think I was looking for? Really?" Jane shook her head disbelievingly at the doctor.

Maura took a deep breath before attempting to answer the detective, "That's not what I meant, Jane." She quipped. "You've just seemed really tense this week. More so than usual, even. I'm sure that tension is what has caused you to injure your neck in the first place. I think a good massage would be an excellent way to release that tension you are holding in your neck and shoulders. I just think you would benefit from the whole massage experience in a private, professional setting. That way you would be free to express yourself and actually let the tension drain from your body."

Jane eyed the doctor suspiciously for a second, trying to determine just what the she was trying to get at with all her over analyzing. Her eyes widened as the realization of what the doctor was saying dawned on her. Jane sat up and pointed an accusatory finger at the doctor. "Do I look like a moaner to you?"

Maura chuckled at the detective's over reaction. "Jane, it's a normal human response to physical stimulation. I could go on and on about the body's reaction to the stimuli from another person's hands, but by your current reaction," she indicated with a wave of her hand in the detective's direction, "I don't suspect that you are interested in hearing anymore." Jane rubbed her hands over her tired face and slowly shook her head at the doctor.

"Why do you make everything so complicated? Not to mention uncomfortable." Jane whispered the last part under her breath. "Forget about the whole massage thing. I'll just deaden the pain with a couple more of these," she indicated with a sway of her beer bottle in front of the doctor's face.

Maura winced with a tight smile at Jane's solution. "Not a good idea, Jane. Alcohol will only exacerbate the problem. Further dehydration of the muscle tissue will only make the soreness more pronounced."

"Well, you've been a bundle of help tonight." Jane said as she pushed herself up off the couch. Making her way towards the kitchen, Jane looked back towards the doctor, "By the way, I'm going against doctor's orders and I'm fully planning on dulling the pain with a few more beers."

Maura looked at her friend as she emerged with a fresh cold beer in tow. "Okay, how about a compromise? You can have that last beer, "she indicated to the one in the detective's hand, "and I'll give your neck a massage."

Jane stopped in her tracks in front of Maura and looked at her with an awkward expression on her face. "Um, Maura…I'm not sure where you're getting your information, but best friends don't give each other massages."

Maura looked up at her with a puzzled expression. "I'm a doctor, Jane. I know how to manipulate the muscles in your shoulders to relieve the pain you are feeling. Why would that make you uncomfortable?"

"I don't know…it's just strange." Jane shrugged, trying to come up with any other reason to strengthen her argument.

Maura answered before Jane could come up with any further excuses, "Jane, if someone broke into my house, you would be the first person I called. I would fully take advantage of your expertise, and I would put all my trust in you to help me in my time of need." Maura smiled up at the detective, "Why don't you let me help you?"

Jane hesitated before answering. "I don't like to ask for help. You know that." Jane said, her eyes glued to the floor, unable to look at her friend. Maura stood up from the couch and took a step towards her friend. She took both of Jane's hands in her own, forcing the taller woman to look her in the eyes.

Knowing that Jane didn't like to feel weak, Maura knew she had to make Jane feel in control. "Well then, help me. You know I like to keep my skill set sharp. I haven't had the opportunity to hone my wicked massage skills lately. You'll be doing me a favor." She winked slyly at the brunette. Without waiting for a response, Maura spun Jane around and pulled her in front of her as she gently pushed on the detective's shoulders. "Sit down here on the floor in front of me," Maura motioned to Jane as she pulled up her dress slightly to allow room for her to spread her knees as she settled on the couch behind Jane. Jane turned to start to protest, but Maura's outstretched hand stopped her. "No peeking, my dress is hiked up around my hips. If you weren't comfortable with the idea of this before, I highly doubt that visual would make this anymore tolerable for you now." Maura chuckled as she helped lower the stunned detective in front of her.

Jane settled on the floor with her back to Maura. Staring at a spot on the wall across the room, Jane tried not to think of the doctor behind her. "Thanks a lot. Now all I can think about is what color your underwear is." Jane laughed, clearly amused that the doctor had been able to talk her into doing this.

With one swift move, Maura pulled Jane back towards her to get her into position. Leaning down so that her mouth was only inches away from Jane's ear, Maura whispered seductively, "Who says I'm wearing underwear?" Panicking slightly, Jane took in a sharp breath at Maura's words. Maura tenderly squeezed each of Jane's shoulders to reassure her that she was just joking.

"Relax, Jane." Maura chuckled. "I'm just kidding."

Jane slowly let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding. "God, Maur. Don't do that to me. You know that kind of stuff makes me uncomfortable."

"Okay I promise. No more joking." Maura took in a deep cleansing breath to show she was ready to get to work on the task at hand.

"Okay, I'm ready. Go ahead and remove your shirt now."

_Oh fuck_.


	2. Chapter 2

_Oh fuck._

"Maura, if you think I'm taking my shirt off, you're crazy!" Jane exclaimed, clearly agitated by the doctor's request.

"Jane, I just want you to take off your button down shirt. You have a tank top on, just relax." Maura replied to the nervous detective. "You're so jumpy today."

Sighing, Jane pinched the bridge of her nose, suddenly aware of the impending headache that was starting to form behind her eyes. "I know. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you." Jane shook her head slightly as she started unbuttoning the blouse. Arguing with the doctor was futile. Jane always gave into Maura. She shrugged off the shirt and settled back into the couch. This time she was acutely aware of her bare shoulders rubbing the silky soft skin on the inside of the doctor's knees.

Maura placed deft fingers at her friend's shoulders and began to knead the flesh there. Slowly she began to work her way towards the center of Jane's back. Reaching under the fabric of the racer back tank, Maura frowned at the material restricting her work. "You know, if you took your bra off, I could work that area more thoroughly."

"You have got to be kidding me, right?" Jane let out an exasperated groan. "I swear you won't be happy until I am completely naked."

Maura pondered that for a moment before responding. "I work with naked bodies every day, Jane. It does make my job easier."

"Yeah, naked _dead_ bodies." Jane clarified.

"Bodies are bodies, dead or alive. They all look the same." Maura answered as she continued her work on the detective's shoulders. Unable to pass up another opportunity to tease the normally stoic detective, Maura trailed her hands from Jane's shoulders down to her biceps as she leaned down to softly whisper "Although I do prefer your warm skin to that of the cadavers."

"Augh..stop it!" Jane huffed."I'm keeping my bra on, and that's final." At times like this, Jane really hated Maura's open door policy with her mother. With her luck, there was a good chance her mother would pick this night to barge in unannounced. She certainly didn't need to add the visual of herself braless, in the already precarious position she was in with the medical examiner. "I don't need my mother walking in right now to see my bra slung on the floor. I can't deal with her having a coronary on me tonight."

Maura pondered Jane's choice of words and wondered briefly if she meant that on another night she would have been open to the idea. Shaking her head slightly, she banished the thought from her mind. No, Jane clearly had her boundaries and going around sans bra was not in the future. It really was rather unfortunate. She could do a much better job on her neck and shoulders if she would allow more skin to skin contact.

"Oh fine, Jane. I'll work around it. Just please try to relax." Maura said to the distressed woman on the floor in front of her.

As Maura resumed her rubdown, Jane closed her eyes and attempted to perform the deep breathing exercises she learned at the yoga class Maura drug her to recently. Maura had mentioned to her at the time that she thought Jane could use the technique to calm her nerves during high levels of stress at work. Letting out a small snort of air through her nose, Jane laughed to herself at the fact that she tended to use this relaxation technique more around the medical examiner than when interrogating hardened criminals. For some reason, the petite blonde could get her more worked up than most murderers with a few choice words or a dimpled smile.

"God, that feels good." Jane said as she started to relax into the slow, steady rhythm Maura had set. "A little lower. Yeah, right there. Jesus…that's good," the last part barely audible to the doctor. Maura smirked to herself at the slowly crumbling detective in front of her.

"See, I told you to trust me. I know what's best for you, Jane. I don't know why you always fight me when I suggest things that would benefit your health and well being."

"Oh…so fffu..uu..king good!" the detective growled out shamelessly as Maura's fingers deeply penetrated the muscles at her shoulder blades. No more fight left in her, Jane caved to the doctor's touch. "Just don't stop. So fucking good, Maura. I'll do anything you want, just please don't stop." Jane moaned, unable to censor herself. "God, I love you."

_What the fuck? Holy, shit! Did I just say that out loud?_ Jane realized she did, in fact, mutter those words out loud since the usually self-assured doctor's hands came to a screeching halt on her back. "Uh…I mean I love that…I love what you're doing to me..ugh. That's not any better!" Jane, frustrated with the words that kept falling out of her mouth like rocks, shot up off of the floor and took a few steps to the other side of the room, trying to escape the situation she had just created.

Maura was quick to stand and tug her dress back down, smoothing out the non-existent wrinkles, taking more time than necessary for the task. Anything to bide for more time to let the heavy, thick cloud of uncomfortable air dissipate from the room.

Maura looked up to see the detective rubbing both hands through her hair, clearly embarrassed by the unfortunate choice of words. Grinning at her friend, the doctor joked, "The moaning I planned on - the begging was just an added bonus." Jane turned to look at the doctor, attempting to shoot daggers in her direction, but she couldn't help the smile that broke out on her own face.

With a deep, throaty laugh the detective responded, "Just don't tell anyone at the station. My street cred would take a major hit if that got out."

"Your secret is safe with me. I think it's safe to say that my skill set is still very much intact." Maura said as she wiggled her fingers playfully at Jane.

"Definitely. I don't know how you aren't married yet." Jane teased the doctor.

"Well, I don't just do this for anyone." The doctor replied. "Only special people get treated to my hands of pleasure," winked the doctor.

"Yeah, me and all the dead people of Boston," joked the detective, finally happy to get a jab in on the doctor and level the playing field. Jane continued to rub at the soreness of her neck, despite the work the doctor had done on her muscles.

"I do have one other therapy that I think would help with the discomfort in your neck", the doctor said.

"Okay. Sure, lay it on me. I'm pretty sure a few minutes ago I moaned that I'd do anything you wanted," the detective smirked as her confidence returned and she gained some of her swagger back. She smiled as she started to feel the comfortable banter between the two women return as the awkwardness in the room fell away.

"Excellent!" exclaimed the doctor, a visible twinkle in her eye at the willingness of the detective. "But for this therapy, you **will** have to get naked."

_Oh, double fuck._

Jane wasn't sure what hit the floor faster - her jaw, or the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She was pretty sure that the discomfort she felt in her neck wasn't anywhere close to the level of discomfort she was feeling in the rest of her body right now.

"You know, my neck is actually feeling much better." Jane replied, taking a couple of steps towards the front door.

"Not so fast, Rizzoli." Maura said as she reached out and grabbed the detective by the arm. "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way."

The detective's eyes squeezed shut as realization hit her that Maura wasn't going to let her off the hook. Jane was pretty sure no amount of deep breathing exercises were going to help her through what Maura had in store for her next.


	3. Chapter 3

Jane took in a deep breath and spared a moment to glance around at her surroundings. Soft classical music was being piped in from somewhere, wafting into the master bath. The only light illuminating the area came from strategically located candles placed around the tub and vanity. Jane smiled to herself at the doctor's level of detail. The only candle she possessed in her own apartment was the one she used in the event of a power outage.

The sound of the water tumbling from the faucet into the large oversized tub was soothing in and of itself. As the water droplets broke through the mass of bubbles already starting to form, more of the intoxicating scent was released into the room, filling the detective's lungs with a mixture of lavender and peppermint. The setting was so serene that the detective already felt most of the stress release from her body, and she hadn't even gotten into the tub yet. Jane's eyes were drawn to the items laid out for her on the vanity. A hair tie and an assortment of after bath body lotions. Jane was touched that her friend went to all the trouble to make sure she was so well taken care of.

She was touched – but it wasn't in her nature to just thank the doctor with a sweet smile like best friends would do to each other in this situation. That would be too…hmm…girly? Instead, she went with the standard Jane Rizzoli method of thanking someone – lather on the sarcasm to cover up the sincerity.

"Hey, Maur? What's with all the candles and bath oils? Are you trying to seduce me, or fix my neck?" Jane teased as she looked around the master bath, taking in the tub filled with luxurious bubbles and the dozen candles that she could only assume were emitting a designer fragrance Maura had hand selected.

The doctor sauntered in from the bedroom, her arms full of clean, puffy towels, which she promptly laid down on the vanity.

"The bath oils are designed for muscle relaxation and the candles are for stress relief. I bought them with you in mind." Maura said matter-of-factly with a tilt of her head.

"Does that mean you planned on me being here in your tub?" the detective asked, with a wry grin on her face.

Maura offered an answer that would satisfy the detective's curiosity. "What I meant was, that sometimes spending an entire day with you when you're having a particular stressful case can be…slightly exasperating. So I purchased them to use myself if I ever found the need to unwind after _you've_ had a particularly irritating day." Maura replied, grinning back at the brunette.

"Nice. Glad to know I have that effect on you." Jane murmured, suddenly sorry that she had teased the doctor. Why did she have to be such an ass at times?

Maura reached down to check the temperature of the water with her hand, and satisfied with the results, she turned off the spigots. "The water is perfect. Go ahead and get in Jane. You should only stay in for about 15 minutes. That should help alleviate the muscle spasms I noticed in your neck. Make sure you submerse your whole body." Maura instructed.

"Got it, doc. You're going to give me some privacy, right?" Jane questioned, as the doctor lingered in the room, not looking like she was going anywhere anytime soon.

"Of course, take your time. I've got a few things I need to tidy up in the kitchen." Maura replied as she took the hint. With a small smile she left the room, closing the door behind her.

Jane took a deep breath, needing the soothing scents that filled the room to seep deep into her pores. She slid out of her slacks and decided to hang them on the towel rack rather than leaving them in a heap on the floor. The rest of her clothes, the white tank and the mismatched bra and panties lay in a pile on the counter. She looked at the cotton clothing and silently cursed herself for not taking more care to give a crap what she wore under her clothes. She was certain that the doctor probably had a lacey matching set of lingerie under her form fitting black dress. She would probably be mortified by what Jane wore under her work clothes. She always just grabbed the first thing she saw without regard to whether they matched or not.

In the rare event that Maura did walk back into the bathroom, Jane took one of the towels Maura had brought for her and threw it over her undergarments. It was a habit she had formed early on in life anytime her underwear was on display. During her annual check-up at the doctor's office, underwear was always discretely covered up by her shirt or jeans. Laundry day in the apartment complex - underwear always out of sight, located in the bottom of the basket. Tonight would be no different.

Satisfied that everything was safely stowed away, Jane slowly lowered herself into the silky goodness of Maura's tub, enjoying the luxurious setting the doctor had created for her. The only thing that could make this better would be another beer to keep the slight buzz she had going, but Maura had nixed that earlier when she agreed to massage Jane's neck.

The stillness of the room was broken by a soft knock to the door.

"Jane, can I come in?" Maura said on the other side of the door. When she didn't hear an immediate response, she added, "I have alcohol."

Jane scrunched down into the tub, making sure the bubble coverage was sufficient to maintain her modesty. "Okay, come on in."

Maura pushed the door open and entered the room carrying two glasses of red wine.

"Sorry it's not your beer, but this is healthier for you." Maura said with a slight smile as she handed one of the glasses over to Jane and settled on the bench next to the tub, crossing her legs at the ankle as she sat.

"That's okay. I thought you cut me off tonight. Something about dehydration being bad for my sore muscles?" Jane questioned, looking at the doctor.

"Yes, but I find it very hard to deny you, detective." Maura stated, looking directly into Jane's eyes. "I know how you prefer to unwind with a few drinks, so I thought I would indulge you tonight, sore neck aside."

"Thank you." Jane said, as she took a healthy sip of the dark red liquid. "If I didn't know you any better, Dr. Isles, I'd think you were trying to get me drunk."

Maura reached out her index finger to draw a small circle on Jane's exposed elbow. "No need to get you drunk, Jane. As you can see, I've already got you naked and wet." Maura stated, raising an eyebrow as she eyed the bubbles surrounding her detective.

Unable to form even a sarcastic comment, Jane was left speechless - unsure if Maura was teasing or serious. At times it was hard to read the literal doctor.

After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Jane was only able to mutter, "Well, you got me there, Doc." before taking another long, slow sip of her wine.

Maura took pity on Jane and quickly changed the subject. "Lean forward a little bit. I'd like to check the area that was spasming earlier."

The loose ponytail had most of Jane's locks pulled up and out of the doctor's way, leaving just a few wet tendrils trailing down her neck. Maura's fingers tenderly palpitated the area from the base of Jane's neck, inching their way up north until her fingers were buried in the delicate skin located just in the detective's hairline. Jane's eyes squeezed closed and she took in a deep cleansing breath at the touch, finally understanding now how Jo Friday must feel when her owner scratched behind her ears.

"Much better," Maura announced, clearly pleased with the progress. "Take five more minutes, and then get out of the water. You don't want wrinkles." Maura grabbed her wine and left, quietly closing the door behind her.

Jane closed her eyes again and settled back down into the water as far as she could and enjoyed the solitude. She hadn't noticed that she had started to doze off until she was rudely awakened by the sound of Maura's doorbell.

"Don't worry Jane, I've got it." Maura yelled back into the hall on her way to the front door.

"Vince, thank you so much for bringing this file by. I really appreciate it," Maura said as she opened the door with one hand to let the older detective in, wine glass in the other.

"No problem, Dr. Isles," Korsak answered. "I was just on my way to the Robber to meet Frost."

He glanced quickly around the room, noting Jane's boots by the door. The lights were dimmed in the living room; the only illumination present came from the small arsenal of candles Maura had lit earlier. The sound of a string quartet floated through the house. Not seeing any sign of the detective, he asked, "Is Janie here?"

"Oh, yes!" replied the doctor. "She's soaking in the tub right now. Do you need to talk to her?"

 _Oh boy, what have I just walked into?_ "No, that's fine. I'm good. I'll chat with her later. No need to disturb her," he grinned. _Wait until Frost hears about this!_

"Okay. Tell Frost we said 'Hi'."

"Oh, I will." Korsak smiled as he backed out the door, taking in the visual one more time before Maura closed the door.

Reluctantly Jane got out of the tub and dried off quick, hoping that the doctor had taken mercy on her and ordered her a pizza, since the salad she had made her order for dinner earlier in the evening just wasn't cutting it.

Reaching to grab her clothes from the vanity, she froze when she saw the clothes and the towel that had been thrown over them had gone missing. _What the hell?_ _Are you kidding me? All I've got is a pair of pants to wear? Could this night get any more bizarre?_

As Jane was about to find out, yes…this night could get even more bizarre.


	4. Chapter 4

Korsak entered the bar and scanned the establishment, looking for the younger detective. He found Frost at the far end of the bar talking to a couple of young ladies who appeared to be hanging on his every word. Korsak made his way around the tables and came up to Frost's right side, clapping him heartily on the shoulder.

"Good evening, ladies. I sure hope this man isn't bothering you too much," the older detective teased the women.

"Of course not, he's been a perfect gentleman," one of the women responded. Frost grinned at her, obviously happy with the way the evening had been going so far. It was rare to find such eligible dating material at the Robber. Most of the time it was just full of cops, and lord knows he'd exhausted every female candidate in law enforcement. It was just a stroke of luck that these women happened to show up here tonight.

"Detective Korsak, nice you could drop by tonight," Frost started uneasily. "I think I see a couple of others from the department over by the pool tables." He mentioned with a nod of his head in the general direction, hoping Korsak would take the hint and move along.

Korsak motioned to the bartender for a drink and settled his elbows on the bar, making himself comfortable. Frost turned to him, his back to the ladies, and gave Korsak a death glare, willing he man to get out of his territory.

"Frost, I know you just met these lovely ladies," he said motioning to the women behind him, "but I have some really important business to discuss with you." Korsak took a long, slow drink of the cold brew, letting it slide down his throat, enjoying the soothing coolness in its wake.

Frost's shoulders slumped in anticipation of catching a new case. "Can't the crazies give us one night off?" The young detective rubbed at his brow, clearly distressed by the fact that his night was just about to get ruined.

"No murder, Frost," Korsak said into his glass before taking another sip. "This is much bigger."

"What the hell are you talking about? Can't you see I'm kind of busy here?" Frost said through the side of his mouth, keeping his voice low as he motioned to his two lady friends.

Korsak turned and locked eyes with Frost. "This is about 'The Wager'."

"What?" Frost's beer mug slammed into the bar in disbelief. "Are you serious?" He said, his grin starting to grow exponetionally.

"Yeah, I think it's going down tonight or already went down tonight...err... bad choice of words," Korsak chuckled. The older detective cleared his throat before he continued. "I walked in on something tonight, Frost."

Frost stood up abruptly and grabbed Korsak by the arm. "Ladies, excuse us for a few minutes. We've got to go over a case we've been working for the past couple of years," Frost said to the women with an apologetic look on his face. "Sounds like we finally caught a big break."

Without waiting for a response from the women, the young detective lead Korsak over to a booth away from the other patrons giving them some level of privacy.

"Spill it, old man. Don't leave out any details," Frost said to Korsak.

"Before I give you any details, let's go over the terms of the wager. Pull out that smart phone that you're so in love with and read me what we've got down." Korsak motioned with his hand at Frost's iPhone. "Is there an app for this?"

"No, but with the number of people in the department that have bets on Jane and Maura, I'm not sure why I never thought about creating one," Frost said, shaking his head at how he missed out on that opportunity. Of course, if Jane ever found out about him doing something like that, he was sure it would take a search and rescue team to locate his balls once she was done with him. It was probably for the best that he had just kept it in his notes.

"Okay, $100 total wager broken into 4 equal subsections. First item: Who makes the first move. I've got Jane, you've got Maura.". Korsak smiled a little to himself. He was pretty sure that based on what he saw tonight, the balance was tipped in his favor on that one.

"Second item: Location. I've got Jane's apartment and Maura's car." They both knew Maura would never do it in the back of Jane's cruiser, so it wasn't even listed as a possibility. "You've got Maura's house and police headquarters, including the morgue.". It had taken some negotiating, but Korsak had finally ended up with the morgue, as well. "If it happens any where else, we split that item 50/50."

"Sounds about right, so far." Korsak said as he took a handful of peanuts out of the bowl on the table. "What have you got for the last two?" he added before he tossed in the mouthful of peanuts.

"Third item: Number of drinks. I've got 4 and above. You've got totally sober and up to and including 3 drinks. The only thing we never clarified is if there was going to be an exception for shots.".

Korsak rubbed at his chin as he pondered that thought. "How about if there are more than 5 shots each, we call this item a draw?"

"Fair enough," Frost agreed. "Last item: How long before they tell anyone.".

Korsak smiled as he thought about this one. "I've got one week or less, you've got 8 days to eternity, Frost."

"That's right. Now tell me what you saw. The anticipation is killing me!" Frost said as he saw the two women he was hitting on earlier walk out of the bar. He found it slightly odd that at the moment, he was more excited about his partner's sex life than he was about his own.

Korsak lowered his empty beer to the table and eyed the eagerly waiting man. "Well, we're going to need another round before I can get into specifics," he said as Frost groaned in frustration. "But I will start by telling you that I saw Jane's shirt discarded into a heap on the floor in Maura's living room and an empty wine bottle on the counter."

Frost bolted up out of his seat and headed to the bar. He shouted back over his shoulder, "I'll get two rounds. I want to hear everything as soon as I get back."

Korsak eased back into the booth with a slightly proud smile on his face. He really didn't care if he lost on all counts of the bet. He just wanted to see his Janie happy again.


	5. Chapter 5

_Son of a bitch,_ thought Jane. She could hear the sloshing of the washing machine in the next room from her current spot in the master bath. _I can't believe Maura is that anal about her bathroom that she couldn't just leave my clothes alone._

She peered around the bathroom, looking for something to put on so she didn't have to parade around the doctor's house in her towel. She contemplated looking through the drawers in the vanity for some spare clothes, but she really didn't want to come across anything that she might regret. She had burst into enough perp's houses and tossed their places looking for evidence to know what a lot of people hid in their private storage areas. A slight shiver ran through her body as she thought about what secrets Maura might be harboring in hers.

She glanced back to the door behind her and relief washed over her as she found two robes on the hook. A light blue silk robe on one hook, and a heavy white cotton robe on the other. She gently fingered the silk robe and smiled a little at the thought that entered her mind. It was so Maura. The robe was made of higher quality fabric than any of the dresses Jane had ever even tried on in a store, let alone owned. Would she expect anything less from her fashion conscious friend?

The other robe puzzled her slightly. It was so "not" Maura. Yes, it was made of the highest quality material available. It was woven from supple cotton and was adorned with exquisite stitching. The only time Jane had used a robe of this quality had been at the spa Maura took her to last year.

Figuring that the silk robe was Maura's everyday robe, Jane decided she would take the cotton one. She slipped it on over her shoulders, enjoying the smooth feel on her skin. As she wrapped the heavy material around her chest, she noticed that the heavy weight of the robe on her body was similar to that of her Kevlar vest. Both seemed to offer her similar comfort and a level of reassurance.

Checking herself one last time in the mirror, Jane cinched the belt of the robe and headed out of the safety of the bathroom.

Jane quietly made her way down the hall and into the kitchen, where she could hear movement from the other woman. She noticed that Maura had continued her full-on candle assault in the living room and kitchen. Only the small light over the sink was on and the light from the open refrigerator. She stopped to lean on the doorway, enjoying the view of the medical examiner digging through the appliance. She had changed out of her dress and now had on a comfortable top and yoga pants.

"Find anything you like?" Jane said in her naturally low, gravelly voice as she finished shaking out the damp curls on her head with her other hand.

Maura popped her head out from behind the door to reply to the detective's inquiry. "Just looking for…wow…you…you look sexy." The doctor replied shakily, taken by the detective posed in the thigh length robe in her doorway. "I mean, you look sexy in th…that robe," she stammered. The doctor retrieved the box of strawberries that she was looking for from the refrigerator and slowly closed the door. She immediately missed the effect that the cool refrigerated air had provided on her now flushed skin.

"Are you a little flustered, Maura?" Jane chuckled as she took a few steps towards the doctor. "Been awhile, has it?" She said with eyebrows raised in question. It was rare that Jane had a chance to see the doctor knocked off balance at their harmless flirting. It was a game they played all too often. Jane was competitive, and this was a game in which she was always over matched. She had to score points when she could.

Maura internally admonished her own physical and emotional reaction to the detective. With a slight shake to her head, she took a steadying breath and addressed her friend. "Why can't you ever just accept a compliment?"

"What fun is that?" huffed the detective. "It's all fun and games when you're the one doing the teasing," Jane answered as she nonchalantly popped a strawberry in her mouth. "By the way, thanks for stealing all my clothes. Will you stop at nothing? I swear you've been trying to get me naked all night."

"First of all, I did not steal your clothes." Maura stated, stepping directly in front of the taller woman, slightly irritated at Jane's playful accusation. "I grabbed a discarded towel. I had no idea your clothes were under it until after I had tossed the armload into the washer. Who does that, by the way? Didn't your mother teach you to fold your clothes?"

"Secondly," she continued as she grabbed the strawberries off the table "these are for Bass. And they haven't been cleaned yet, so I hope you don't develop e-coli after eating that," she said with a nod to the half eaten strawberry Jane was holding in her hand.

"And lastly, I usually don't have to work that hard to get someone naked in my house." Maura said with a smile breaking out on her face. "You really have that 'hard to get' thing down, don't you, detective?" she teased the taller woman.

Jane shook her head slowly at the doctor and laughed. "Just a good Catholic upbringing, Maura. You, my friend, are a piece of work." Suddenly remembering the earlier doorbell, Jane asked, "Hey, did you get pizza?"

"No, that was Korsak. He dropped a file off for me," Maura answered as she washed off a few strawberries at the sink.

"Well, if you're not going to feed me pizza and make me stand here in a robe, the least you could do is pour me another glass of wine."

"Of course. The pinot is gone, but I do have a lovely 2005 Cabernet I've wanted to try. Would that be okay?" Maura asked as she wiped her hands on a towel, finished with cleaning her strawberries.

"That's fine, knock your socks off. You know I trust your wine choices."

Maura made her way over to the cupboard where she stored the wine glasses, and reached up to the grab two new glasses for the women. Jane made herself comfortable and leaned against the countertop, watching as Maura wrestled the cork out of the bottle.

"By the way, nice robe, Maur." Jane said as she ran the ends of the soft belt through her hands. "This robe, now that I think of it, looks nothing like anything I would expect you would ever wear, unless you were recovering from some sort of illness," Jane smirked.

"It's not for me," Maura smiled at the brunette. "I bought that for certain visitors," she said with a wink.

Jane blankly stared at the other woman for a few moments, the smirk slowly falling from her face as she realized what Maura was alluding to with the purchase of the robe.

"You look much better in that robe than he did." Maura said as she raked her eyes down the length of the detective.

"Ian wore this? Are you kidding me?" Jane responded, her hands motioning to the robe.

"Don't be silly," Maura said with mock disgust.

Jane's eyes narrowed at the doctor and an audible gasp escaped her mouth. "Oh. My. God. Don't tell me Slucky wore this," she said to the smaller woman, her arms flying into the air and a look of contempt on her face. Jane reached for her wine glass and took a healthy swig of the liquid, not caring to swirl it around in her mouth to enjoy the taste as Maura had taught her. She turned her back to Maura as she swallowed it, enjoying the burn as it trailed down her throat. She hoped the wine would take some of the sting out of the memory of Slucky. She never quite understood what she found so repulsive about that man, but mention of his name always enraged her.

Maura took a step closer to her friend placing a reassuring hand on her forearm, "Jane, it was only once or twice. I'm sure I washed it afterwards," the doctor gently pleaded. She had spent the entire evening trying to make the detective relax, only to see it vanish in an instant.

Knowing her friend's propensity to let her emotions spiral out of control at the tiniest of things, Maury took a step towards the other woman and grabbed her by the shoulders, turning her back around to face her.

Maura grabbed two fistfuls of the cotton lapels on the robe firmly in her hands. She leaned in by the other woman's collar, burying her nose in the fabric before taking a deep breath, inhaling the scent from deep within the fibers.

Jane instantly froze at the doctor's action, taken aback at the boldness of her friend. Her hands made their way to Maura's shoulders, to give her some sense of control over the smaller woman. As Jane relaxed into the touch, her chin slightly fell, briefly touching the doctor's head.

Maura's eyes closed as she felt Jane's chin graze the top of her head. She had to focus to analyze the scent emitting from the robe and the taller woman. The soothing essential oils from the bath the most noticeable, but other Jane specific scents also filled her senses. She forced herself to push off of the detective's chest, after already taking more time than necessary.

"You really have no sense of personal space, do you?" Jane quietly asked the doctor. "We really have to work on your boundaries."

Maura looked up sheepishly, "I just wanted to reassure you that the robe was clean. No hint of his scent, I can still smell my laundry detergent. It's clean..you're good."

"Thanks, but I'd really rather not wear this now. Can I borrow something of yours? Preferably 100% cotton...nothing too form fitting."

"Fine. I'll go lay something out for you. Please feed my turtle some of those strawberries while I'm gone," Maura directed as she made her way out of the kitchen.

"He's a tortoise, Maura!" Jane corrected the doctor.

"I know, Jane. I just wanted to prove that you knew it, as well," Maura smiled knowingly as she made her way out of the kitchen and down the hall.

"Unbelievable!" Jane murmured as she bent down to the reptile and placed a handful of the strawberries in his bowl. "Does she infuriate you as much as she does me?" Jane asked the tortoise. When Bass didn't acknowledge her, let alone answer her question she stood up and shook her head at the odd pet. _She's even got me talking to Bass. She's driving me crazy in more ways than one._

Jane grabbed another one of the now clean strawberries and munched on it as she thought about why the medical examiner was able to see through her so easily. It was slightly troubling. Even her mother didn't pick up on her idiosyncrasies as easily as Maura had.

Her ears heard the sound of the key in the lock before the door opened, revealing her mother sneaking into the back door by the kitchen.

"Ma...what the hell?" Jane admonished the older woman.

Angela Rizzoli halted after just one step inside the door, her hand still on the knob. "I saw it was dark over here, so thought I'd feed Bass for Maura. I thought she might have gotten busy with a case tonight." Angela's eyes scanned the sight in front of her. Jane in a robe with a glass of wine in one hand, a half-eaten strawberry in the other. The candlelight and Jane's shirt carefully placed on the back of the sofa by Maura as she was tidying things earlier was not lost on the elder Rizzoli.

"Jesus, Ma! What if she was just trying to have a romantic evening and had someone in here – wouldn't you feel foolish barging in on her?" Jane said as she motioned to her surroundings.

"Am I interrupting anything," Angela asked innocently.

"No, not right now," Jane said as her thoughts drifted back to earlier in the evening when Maura was giving her a massage in the living room. A slight smile breaking out on her face as Jane thought about how right she was that her mother always seemed to walk into things at inopportune times.

"Okay then, you girls enjoy the rest of your evening," her mother said with a knowing smile. With a quickness Jane didn't know her mother possessed, Angela had backed out of the door and pulled it shut before Jane could utter another word.

It took Jane a full second before she realized how things must have looked to her mother.

"No, Ma...it's not what you think!" Jane said quickly to the shutting door. Frantically trying to get to it she took a step towards the door only to advert her step at the last second to narrowly miss stepping on Bass, jumping over him and catching herself with a grab to the countertop. Realizing she had missed catching her mother, Jane slumped down on the kitchen floor and put her head in her hands. _How the hell am I going to explain this?_

Angela had already hit speed dial before she reached her front door. "Frankie...about that bet we had going..."


	6. Chapter 6

Jane changed into the sweatpants and tank top Maura had left out for her, sure that she had never seen the doctor dressed in such casual clothing before. They were probably hold over's from her college days based on the softness of the well worn material. It was just what Jane needed right now - comfort clothing. She moved slowly from the bedroom, back into the still darkened living room and plopped down on the couch. Knowing the doctor didn't like her feet on the table, she swung her legs up onto the couch making herself as comfortable as possible.

Maura silently entered the room and looked at the sullen detective on her couch, her heart breaking a little at the vision before her. She made her way over to where Jane was sitting and waited for her to slide her feet up a little so that she could join her on the couch. Jane, resigned to the fact that the doctor wasn't going to leave her alone to sulk, reluctantly scrunched her legs up on the couch to allow space for the smaller woman. The doctor took a seat next to Jane and patted her legs, urging her to stretch back out and place her feet in the doctor's lap.

The doctor slowly rubbed the lanky woman's calves, her fingers travelling under the material of the sweats to caress the smooth, tanned skin above her ankles.

"Jane, don't worry about it. You can explain everything in the morning to her," the doctor said softly.

"You know, the sad thing is I think she's going to be disappointed in me," Jane said to the doctor, a despondent look in her eyes.

"No, Jane. Your mother loves you. She could never be disappointed in you," the doctor stated, trying to cheer her friend. Maura thought about the situation for a moment, her brow furrowing in confusion. "Wait a minute...why would she be disappointed in you?"

"Oh, you didn't see her face," Jane said, looking up to the medical examiner, shaking her head slightly. "When I tell her that this was all a huge misunderstanding, she's going to be disappointed. She had this huge smile on her face as she backed out of the kitchen. I think most of her dreams came true for me when she thought we were together," Jane continued in her best Angela Rizzoli voice, "Her little Janie had finally found a doctor. Uggh!" Jane let out a groan as she flopped her head back on the arm rest of the couch and rubbed her hands over her face.

"Well," laughed Maura, "You could do a lot worse than me. I'm quite the catch, actually."

"Oh, yes I know, Dr. Isles. You come from a prominent Boston family, you're rich, you're a doctor..." Jane was stopped by a small slap to her leg.

Maura felt compelled to cut in and add in more of her better attributes, "...your family already loves me, we're best friends, I would do anything to make you happy, I take care of you...when you let me...," Jane held up a hand to stop the doctor.

"Yes, but you can't get me pregnant." Jane stated, raising her eyebrows at the doctor.

Maura stopped and stared intently at her friend, her hands slowing on the detective's lower leg. _God, I'd love to try. Repeatedly. Over and over. "_ Well, no. Technically I can't," the doctor mumbled.

A moment of silence fell over the room, both women lost in their own thoughts.

"Is it wrong that sometimes I lay awake at night and pray that Tommy will knock some girl up so that my mother will get off my back about giving her grandchildren?"

"It's a little troubling, yes," Maura softly chuckled at her friend. "Oh, Jane. She just loves you. You should be happy that you have a mother that cares so deeply about you."

The detective took a deep breath and massaged the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger, her eyes closed tight trying to ward off the impending tension headache.

"My life sucks," Jane stated as she opened her eyes and glanced up at the doctor. "I've spent the last 10 years so totally devoted to my job that I have absolutely no personal life. It's pathetic, really."

"Jane, that's not true. You have your family, you have your friends at work, you have me," the last part came out softly, hoping to convey how important their relationship was to her.

"Maura, where will I be 10 years from now? Still crashed on your couch at 10 o'clock on a Thursday night?" _God, I hope so,_ thought Maura. Jane sat up a little on her elbows, still looking at the doctor, hoping for some encouraging advice. "Maura, I'm so bad at relationships that I can't even begin to hope that you will let me stick around that long as your friend. I always screw everything up. Nobody wants to put up with my crap for very long."

"Jane, that's not true. You're one of the most caring, loyal, compassionate people I know. You have a lot of characteristics that are quite admirable to find in a mate." Maura said with a slight smile, hoping to make her friend feel better.

"In a mate, really, Maura? I'm not some animal that you throw into a pen with another compatible species," Jane huffed. "You're forgetting about my temper, my bitchiness, and my inability to give up control. Those traits other potential 'mates' don't find so attractive," Jane said, throwing up the air quotes that she knew irritated Maura.

"Well, complaining about your past failed relationships won't help anything," Maura said as she continued trying to soothe her friend by moving her ministrations to her other calf. "If you want to make a positive change in your life, maybe you should analyze what went wrong in your failed relationships."

"Are you trying to make me feel better, or push me into a deep depression?"

"No, I'm just saying that you should learn from past experiences to make adjustments in your behavior to have a positive impact on your life."

Jane removed her feet from the doctor's lap and stood up, agitated at the doctor's attempt to analyze her. "Why is it _my_ behavior that needs to be adjusted? Maybe I've just picked the wrong guys."

"Well, I've known you for 3 years, and I can count the number of relationships you've had on one hand," Maura responded, internally counting her friend's encounters as her thumb brushed against her index finger, then the next before hesitating on the pad of her ring finger. "You know, the sample size is very small. Maybe there isn't enough evidence to form a scientific inquiry," she grinned at her friend.

"Oh, that's just hilarious, Dr. Isles." Jane said as she crossed her arms and paced across the room. "You know the kind of losers that hit on me. It's not like I've exactly got a whole barrel full of fish to pick from."

"There are more willing participants out there than you think, Jane. You could be more aggressive in finding someone if you really wanted."

"You're saying that I could be more aggressive? Do you think I'm weak when it comes to men?" The detective paced to the other side of the room, becoming more outraged at the doctor.

"I'm just saying that you don't seem to exert the same type of control over your love life as you do in your professional life. There's nothing wrong with being a passive partner." Maura stood and crossed the room, closing the distance between the two women.

"Did you just call me passive?"

Stepping directly in front of the taller woman, Maura squared her shoulders and took in a deep breath. Her eyes gazed into deep chocolate brown ones as she took another step towards the taller woman.

"You, Jane Rizzoli, like to be wooed," Maura's outstretched finger jutted out to tap gently at the skin above the tank top on the detective's chest. "You like to be chased; you like to make them work hard for you to take notice. You like to make them squirm...wonder if they even have a chance with you." Maura accentuated each statement with a tap to Jane's chest and a small step forward, pushing the retreating detective until Jane's back was flush against the door.

"You like for them to make the first move, but they are so afraid of the big badass detective that most of them are too scared to even make an attempt," Maura continued on her lecture staring intently at the detective.

The initial shock of the doctor's bold action had rendered Jane momentarily speechless. Jane shook her head slightly, unsure of what had gotten into the doctor. Whatever it was that was going on in her mind, she was going to put an immediate stop to it. Jane reached out with her left hand and encompassed the wrist of the offending hand that had been poking at her. In a move she learned at the academy, Jane swiftly traded places with the medical examiner, pinning the shorter woman against the wall. Her hand holding the doctor's wrist gently slammed into the door to the right of Maura's head. Her other hand reached out to find purchase on the flat surface waist high to balance her position. The sudden movement silenced the doctor.

Jane leaned down to the doctor's eye level, taking a moment to breath in the charged air that surrounded the pair of women. How this woman could go from being comforting to her to enraging her the next moment baffled Jane.

"Nobody will ever own me. I do what I want, when I want, and with whoever the hell I want to…you got that?" Jane said through gritted teeth, pushing a little on the doctor's wrist to emphasize her point.

She immediately felt terrible about being so gruff with the doctor and relaxed her grip slightly, hoping that her actions didn't scare the smaller woman. She took a moment to gather her thoughts, trying to calm down from her little outburst at the doctor.

The only movement noticeable from both women was their heaving chests, trying to soak up enough oxygen to keep them lucid. All the other sounds of the room fell away as the detective focused on the doctor's facial features, trying to read what was going through her mind. She had been privy to many of the doctor's emotions over the last few years. They had been side by side as they stared death in the face; there had been anger, fear, and frustration. But this emotion was something new. _Something raw_. Jane searched the doctor's face for a clue when she noticed the slight movement as Maura's hazel eyes dipped down to look at Jane's lips briefly before returning her gaze. The doctor's eyes were dark and her breaths were shallow. _It was arousal_. And it scared the hell out of the detective.

Maura took in a shaky breath before speaking, "It's 'whomever' the hell I want…not 'whoever' I want…"

Jane took in a sharp breath, and without thinking, did the only thing she could think of that would stop the medical examiner's grammar lesson. She closed the remaining distance between the two women, her lips brushing those of the smaller woman, effectively silencing her.

Maura's free hand immediately found its way to Jane's hip, attempting to lengthen and deepen the kiss. The detective leaned into the kiss, angling for better contact as the doctor let her take control, opening her mouth slightly allowing Jane whatever access to her she wanted. The brunette tentatively dipped her tongue towards the opening, searching and finding a willing participant as she brushed against the doctor's warm inviting tongue. A soft moan escaped Maura's mouth as Jane broke contact almost as soon as it started.

Backing away from the doctor Jane's hand flew to her own mouth, unsure of what the hell she just did.

With one swift motion, Jane grabbed her keys and phone off the table by the door and made her way past a stunned doctor, softly closing the door behind her.

_Oh fuck. What have I done?_


	7. Chapter 7

She's not sure how long she stared at the knob, willing it to open and for Jane to rush back to her and apologize for leaving so abruptly. She should have known better. Of course Jane would react that way. Jane doesn't "do" emotions.

Maura made her way around the candlelit house, extinguishing all the candles in the kitchen first. With each wick that she placed under the metal snuffer, the bright light of the flame quickly died down – only a small trail of smoke left to lift lifelessly into the air once the fire was stifled.

The doctor methodically extinguished the candles in the living room next, leaving the three on the coffee table for last. She took a seat in the middle of the couch and watched as the flames danced in the glass jars. The couch seemed so large all of a sudden. Large and…empty. Or was it lonely? Could a couch feel lonely? Logic told her that it couldn't, but that was the only explanation the doctor could come up with for how she felt at the moment. So much for the "stress relief" properties of the aromatherapy candles. They weren't doing a damn bit of good for Maura right now. She slowly leaned forward and blew the last three candles out, darkening the room.

* * *

_Shit. I feel like shit. I feel like_ **a** _shit. How could I leave like that? I am the worst friend in the history of friends. You dumbass…friends don't tongue friends. What the hell were you thinking?_

Jane stood staring at the outside of her door, focusing on the doorknob, but unable to get her hands to move to put the key in the lock. How was she going to fix this? She needed to talk to someone. She usually went to Maura for advice. That option was gone now. Korsak?…Frost?…Frankie?…her mother? God no…none of them would be of any help.

The scratching on the other side of the door brought Jane out of her reverie. Snapping back into the present tense, she forced the key in the door and opened it to a furry bundle of happiness jumping at her feet.

"Okay, Jo. Take it easy. I'll take you out, just settle down," she said to the excited dog. Jane glanced across the room at the refrigerator as she grabbed the leash off the hook, knowing that an ice cold 6-pack of beer was waiting for her on the inside. It would be so easy to just make a mad dash to the dark brown bottles and drink herself into oblivion tonight. It was probably for the best if she tried to keep her mind clear long enough to at least take Jo out to do her business.

* * *

Maura flipped the light switch on in the kitchen and took a seat at one of the stools. Her eyes kept wandering over to the set of car keys on the end of the counter _. Should I run over there and make sure she's okay? I know she is freaking out right now._ The doctor nervously rubbed her hands on her knees, trying to keep herself busy so she didn't make a stab at the keys and run out to the car _._

_No, she needs space right now. If I drive over there, she'll feel suffocated. She needs time to calm down, to think rationally. She'll call me when she's ready._

Maura reluctantly pushed herself off the stool and headed towards her bedroom. She paused at the light switch, taking one more glance at the car keys. _No, it's for the best._ With one swipe of her finger, darkness filled the room.

* * *

"You are not going to believe the night I had," the detective said to her fluffy brown confidant. "Seriously, what I am about to tell you is a hell of a lot more interesting than that patch of grass you keep sniffing," Jane looked at the small dog as she circled around the lawn area for what seemed like the tenth time. "I kissed Maura…on the mouth."

Jo Friday finally settled on a spot and squatted down to relieve herself.

"Really? That's all you got?" the detective incredulously motioned to the squatting dog. "I just gave you the scoop of the century, and you act like this is just any other ordinary Thursday night?"

Jane looked up and down the empty street; no activity was visible in either direction. She pulled out her phone to see if Maura had tried to contact her yet. Nothing. No messages and no missed calls _. She probably hates me._

Satisfied that Jo was done for the night, Jane led the dog up the stairs and back to her apartment.

Jane threw the leash on the table and headed to the refrigerator. She pulled one bottle from the cardboard packaging and flipped the top off into the garbage can with a flick of her thumb. Grabbing the remote, she decided some background noise would do her good, so she tuned into SportsCenter to keep her mind from spinning out of control.

The vibration of her phone on the couch startled her. It could only be from Maura this late. She was at once excited and terrified to read the message. She placed the full beer on the coffee table before opening the message.

_M: Are you okay? At least let me know you made it home._

Jane looked at the message and smiled. Maura was still trying to make sure she was alright. That was something, wasn't it? She at least didn't hate her _._

J _: I'm good. Made it home in one piece. Thanks for checking in on me._

Jane struggled to find words to explain what she was feeling, but she couldn't put it into writing. Nothing seemed appropriate. She typed and erased repeatedly, never having the nerve to hit the send button. Trying to find the right words to fix everything she had probably destroyed tonight was impossible. Her phone vibrated before she could type a coherent thought.

M: _Do I need to send the beer truck over there, or do you have enough to get you through the night?_

Jane grinned at the message. Maura knew her too well.

J _: I'm not sure. I'm almost too scared to take another sip. I might molest Jo Friday. Apparently I have no self control tonight._

Maura grinned at the response. She was glad Jane hadn't lost her sense of humor.

M _: If you think that was molesting, it has been a long time for you. I think you have entirely too much self control. Maybe you shouldn't be left home alone tonight :)_

The detective shook her head and read the message again _. What the hell was she saying? Is she kidding me again? How the hell am I supposed to answer that?_ Jane thought for a minute about how to respond. She decided to go with what has worked well for her in the past. When in doubt, deflect.

_J: How long does it take for symptoms of e-coli to appear? I think that dirty strawberry made me sick tonight._

_M: Why, what are your symptoms?_

_J: Upset stomach, headache, general uneasiness...my judgment seems to be impaired, as well ._

_M: Unless you have explosive diarrhea, I think something else is causing your discomfort. Any ideas? ;)_

Jane grumbled at her phone. This woman was killing her. Is she trying to cheer her up, or make her even more uncomfortable? The easiest way to figure that out would be to actually call the doctor, but Jane couldn't get up the nerve to actually speak to her yet.

_J: I think I have an idea of what caused it._

Maura read the response and sighed. She contemplated calling Jane, but didn't want to push her into a conversation she clearly wasn't ready for yet. She'd learned over the years that pushing Jane usually resulted in the detective pushing back in the opposite direction twice as hard. She wanted nothing more than to put Jane at ease. Taking a big breath, she typed out another message.

_M: I think the symptoms will be gone in a few hours. All you need is a good night's rest. Trust me…you'll be fine in the morning._

Jane looked at her phone and decided she at least owed Maura an apology. She wouldn't be able to sleep until she got that out of her system.

_J: I'm really sorry, Maur. I shouldn't have done that. I don't know what got into me._

The doctor looked at her phone and felt a twinge of sadness. She could handle Jane being uncomfortable, but she really didn't want her to regret what had happened.

_M: Jane, relax. No worries. Everything is fine._

_J: You sure?_

_M: Yes. Get some rest. I'll bring the coffee in the morning._

Jane put her phone down on the couch and stared at the full beer bottle. Maybe Maura was right. She just needed a good night's sleep. It had been a long couple of days and she was exhausted. She was having trouble thinking clearly. Jane forced herself up off the couch and made her way to the kitchen sink. She watched as the amber liquid swirled its way down the drain. Tonight she didn't need anything else to drink. Tomorrow may be another story.

* * *

Maura relaxed back into the pillow and stared at the darkened light fixture above. A small grin started at the corner of her mouth, unable to contain her giddiness at the memory of the evening's events. Jane's reaction to the kiss was not what Maura would have wished for, but it did remind her of a fond old memory from her childhood.

She was probably only 12 years old at the time. Her family was spending a few weeks at their lake home. Her father had taken her down by the lake to help with a stubborn irrigation water pump. They worked for the better part of a hot, steamy afternoon to get the pump primed. Maura had to repeatedly wade into the murky water to scoop up pail after pail of water and pour a slow, steady stream of the rank liquid into the inlet as her father worked the priming plug, trying to gauge the precise time to plug the opening to build pressure in the line to start the pump. The old pump was temperamental. On some attempts it would sputter and start pumping, only to fizzle out once Maura's father had finally screwed the plug in place. Other efforts yielded no results at all. The most maddening attempts built too much pressure so quickly that it often spewed dirty water everywhere covering both of them head to toe. It was an extremely frustrating process. Her father was ready to give up after a short time, but Maura was relentless. She knew the pump was capable. She just needed to figure out how to build the pressure and cap it before all hell broke loose.

Jane was a lot like that old frustrating pump. At times the doctor could tease and get no results, but tonight confirmed that it wasn't a lost cause. That kiss, brief as it was, was enough to prove to Maura that Jane was capable, too. Maura knew that her work was cut out for her, but she wasn't afraid of a little hard work. Jane was worth it. Much like that old pump, Maura just needed to build the pressure and cap it before all hell broke loose. The pressure was easy. Capping it would be more difficult.

Maura just needed to be patient. And relentless…she needed to be relentless.

 


	8. Chapter 8

She loved getting to the station early on most days. She often did her best thinking when the bullpen was quiet; when she could clear her mind and be alone with her thoughts. Whenever she had a case that was nagging at her, she always made it into the station before the shift change when the place was overrun with patrol officers to avoid the associated commotion that was involved with that process. She figured today was one of those days that might benefit from a few moments of solitude before the real workday started.

She pushed through the doorway to Homicide only to stop in her tracks at the sight before her. Korsak already had his blazer off and his shirt sleeves rolled up, and Frost was typing away on his keyboard.

"What the hell, boys?" Jane admonished the two men, "Did you catch a break and forget to tell me?" She continued on the way to her desk, dropping into her chair and stared at the two men, waiting for their answer.

Frost and Korsak both exchanged an uneasy glance before Frost addressed his angry partner.

"We did, actually. Narcotics caught our witness, Jason Keller, with a gram of cocaine. The problem is, he won't talk. Korsak and I questioned him about an hour ago. He's scared shitless that our suspect's family will take him out if he talks."

"And you two didn't think to call me when they brought him in? What the hell? This is bullshit. You know I do the interrogating, Frost. " Jane was clearly pissed.

Frost looked to Korsak for some help, but the older detective immediately broke eye contact and instead thought it was safer to pretend to look through the pastry box for something to eat.

"Jane, relax. We just thought that maybe you might not want to get called away in the middle of the night. We thought we'd let you get a little extra…sleep," Frost smiled at Jane. "We thought maybe you would appreciate that this morning."

Jane looked at both men, and visibly relaxed a little. "Well, I did have a crazy night last night. I didn't get much sleep," she said as she rubbed at the back of her neck with her left hand.

"Really? Would you care to fill us in on what you did last night?" Frost smirked. Korsak choked slightly on a donut behind him.

"No, not really," Jane looked at her partner, and then leaned to the side to look at Korsak to make sure he was okay, a puzzled expression on her face. "I'm good. Why don't you let me interrogate the witness so we can solidify our case against Monroe?"

"Don't you trust my interrogation skills?" Frost feigned a hurt expression.

"Actually, no…I don't. That's why I always do the interrogations." Jane looked at him and smiled.

"I've been working on them. How about I show you?"

"Ugh, please! You already had your chance with him. Let me do it."

"No, I mean…let me ask you some questions," Frost looked to his partner with eager eyes.

"Whatever…knock yourself out," Jane replied as she moved on to login to her computer, knowing that she needed to appease him before she could get any real work done today.

"Oh, this ought to be fun," Korsak mumbled behind Frost.

Frost took in a large breath of air through his nostrils and squared his shoulders before beginning. "Where were you between the hours of 7pm and 5am last evening?"

"Excuse me?"

"Answer the question," Frost gave her his best 'serious' cop face.

"You have got to be shitting me?" Jane looked at him incredulously.

"Come on, I'm never going to get better at interrogations if you won't ever give me a chance to practice."

With a huff of air, she decided to humor him. "I was at Maura's for awhile, and then I went home."

"Oh, so you didn't spend the night?" Frost looked surprised.

"No. Why would I? I have my own apartment" Jane replied slowly, slightly taken aback by the question.

"I just thought…wait a minute. I'm the one asking the questions." Frost cleared his throat as he settled onto a new line of questioning.

"Just so I'm clear on the night's events, did you go home alone?" Frost questioned, grabbing his small notepad from his desk.

"Of course, you moron." Jane gave a disgusted look at her partner and looked over to Korsak for some support. He just shrugged his shoulders and tried to look innocent.

"Okay, I'm getting ahead of myself," Barry murmured aloud. "Let's go back to earlier in the night. Can you describe what you and Maura did while you were at her house?"

Korsak winced at the directness of the question and had to cover his eyes with one hand.

Jane ignored the older detective and decided to play along. "Girl stuff, you know. We chatted about worthless men, and had a few drinks." She thought it would be best to avoid the subject of the neck massage Maura gave her on her living room floor.

"How many drinks did you have? And what were you drinking?" Frost asked, sitting up a little straighter in his chair.

"I don't know…I had a couple of beers. Then I switched to wine. I had a couple of those." Jane answered, wondering why Barry had a sudden interest in her alcohol consumption.

"So you had at least four drinks then, correct?" Barry asked with a slight grin.

Jane stared at her partner, wondering what the hell was going on before answering him. "Yeah, I had at least four drinks, no more than five."

Frost let out a barely audible "Yes" under his breath and gave himself a little fist pump before he scribbled on his notepad. _That's at least $25 in my favor._

If there was one thing he had learned from Jane the last two years, it was that once you started getting on a roll with a suspect, never let up. Keep pushing them until they break. Emboldened with a new sense of confidence, Frost decided to push the envelope.

Frost closed the distance between their desks and leaned down to brace himself against Jane's desk so that he could look her directly in the eyes. "Were you fully clothed at all times while at Dr. Isles' house last evening?"

Through clenched teeth, Jane leaned forward and seethed at Frost, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Korsak looked at Frost and at once was extremely proud of his boldness, but at the same time quite afraid for his safety.

"Just answer the question, Miss Rizzoli," Barry said a little softer as he straightened back up, more than a little afraid of an irate Jane Rizzoli.

Jane closed her eyes for a moment and drew in a breath, attempting to calm herself before she did something she would regret. Her temper last night had already created enough havoc in her life, she didn't need to make any more. She thought for a moment about what would make Frost ask her such an off-the wall question.

Realization struck her an instant later. Her head snapped up and her eyes bore into the figure of the older detective who was ineffectively trying to make himself transparent across the empty bullpen. Korsak. He was there last night. He was at Maura's house while she was in the tub. He saw the candles, heard the music. Hell, he probably heard the jets running in the tub from the front door.

Jane pushed her chair back and rose so she was eye to eye to her partner. She couldn't stop the slight smirk that made its way to her face as she leaned in closer to him and answered, "No, I wasn't. I was completely naked for awhile, if you must know."

Frost took in a shaky breath and worked his right hand on the knot of his tie, needing a little more room to swallow, the dryness in his throat making it almost impossible.

"Um, well…" Frost stammered, clearly surprised by Jane's admission. "There's really only one more question." He looked to Korsak for support, but Korsak gave a little shake of his head showing that he was in no way going to support what Frost was about to do. Frost could feel the bead of sweat trickle down his back before his shirt absorbed it. He really wished Jane's hands were shackled like most suspects before the next question made its way out of his mouth. "Didyouhavesexlastnight," Frost managed to blurt out as he took a step back from Jane, fully expecting a blow from his partner.

"Really? That's what you think was going on last night?" Jane directed the last part of her question to Korsak who finally looked up from his desk and shrugged his shoulders.

"You're a detective. What would you think if you walked into my apartment and saw what I saw last night?" Korsak said with another shrug of his shoulders. "I could make a case out of what I saw."

"You never answered the question," Frost said, quickly interrupting the two old partners.

"You know…that's just bullshit," Jane said, clearly annoyed. She made her way back over to her desk. "I'm not even going to answer that. You two are perverts." Jane shook her head at the men.

"Then at least tell me if you kissed her." Frost joked lightly, enjoying the teasing.

Jane hesitated for just a brief instant at hearing Frost's question, and it was noticed by both detectives immediately. Now it was Jane's turn to try to swallow with a dry throat.

"You suck at interrogations. I'm done playing your dumb game. I'm not answering anymore of your questions. I want a lawyer," the brunette grumbled as she pretended to search on her desk for a file.

Frost grinned and pointed a finger at her, "No, I think you want a doctor."

Jane groaned at Frost and launched a pen in his direction, narrowly missing him.

The awkward moment was broken by the sound of the medical examiner's heels crisply striking the tiled floor as she entered the homicide unit, balancing a carrier with two coffees in one hand and an oversized purse in the other. Jane was at once relieved at the distraction, and disturbed at the potential discomfort upon seeing Maura for the first time since she bolted out of her house last evening.

"Hey, Maura. Good morning. Thanks for the coffee," Jane said as she grabbed the coffee from Maura and took a much needed drink from the warm cup of liquid.

"Good morning, Jane. Good morning, gentlemen," Maura smiled at Korsak and Frost. The doctor set her bag down on Jane's desk and made her way behind Jane's chair, instinctively running her hand along Jane's shoulder and up the nape of her neck, gently massaging the area under the brunette's unruly locks. Jane's head rolled back slightly at the touch and her eyes fluttered closed at the doctor's contact. She was barely able to contain the slight moan that tried to escape her lips.

"Much better. I like the way that feels," the doctor said to Jane as she removed her hand, happy that she couldn't feel the spasms from last night.

"Jesus…get a room, would you." Frost sputtered as he took in the vision before him. Korsak cleared his throat and tried to tear his eyes away from the two women, without success.

"What are you, twelve?" Jane glared at her partner.

Maura, oblivious to the tension in the room, ignored the comments between the detectives and reached into her bag.

"Jane, I think you might need these today," she said as she laid out the detective's gun and badge on Jane's desk. "You left them at my place."

Jane screwed her eyes shut at the memory of her quick departure last night. She had realized she left them at Maura's house as she was leaving her apartment this morning. She knew that getting them back from Maura was going to be awkward; she just never expected that she would have an audience when it happened.

"Gee, thanks Maura. Thanks for pointing that out. That's **_really_** helpful," Jane said with a shake of her head. She stood and clipped the gun and badge to her belt. It wasn't even eight o'clock in the morning, but Jane was already looking forward to an after work drink.

Frost grinned at his partner. "Oh, this just keeps getting better and better."

"Shut up, Frost." Jane barked at him.

Maura looked at the three detectives, "Did I interrupt something?"

"You could say that." Frost chuckled as he leaned back in his chair. "Your friend here was just pleading the fifth when you walked in," he said, his thumb pointing towards Jane.

"Why would you do that, Jane?" Maura innocently asked Jane. The detective settled back into her chair and put her elbows on her desk and rested her face in her hands _. Is this really happening to me?_

"She wouldn't answer a question." Frost looked at Jane's slumped form at her desk. "Hey, maybe I should just ask the doc. She can't tell a lie." Jane's hands dropped from her face as she looked at Frost in horror.

"Sure, Barry. What do you need to know?" the doctor smiled.

Before Jane could get out a word of protest, Frost blurted out, "Did you kiss Jane last night?"

The detective's eyes widened and her nostrils flared out slightly. Frost wasn't sure if the reaction was from panic waiting on the doctor's potential answer, or anger directed at him.

"Of course not," came the reply from the doctor.

A gush of air flew from Jane's lungs and her face immediately relaxed at the instant relief that washed over her body. _Thank god. Crisis averted._

Frost dropped the pen he had been twirling into his lap…disappointed at having been wrong at his assumption.

The doctor reached to pick up her bag from Jane's desk and stopped for a moment, appearing to still be contemplating something.

"She kissed me." The doctor unceremoniously stated as she promptly spun on her heels and exited the bullpen.

_Oh fuck. Kill me now._

 


	9. Chapter 9

This time of year the bullpen was freezing due to the air conditioning running at full blast, but that didn't quell the rush of heat that made its way up Jane's body, flushing her skin a bright red. She sank back into her seat, her head flopping over the back of the chair as her brown eyes closed in defeat. _Not now, I can't deal with this right now._

Luckily for Jane, Frost and Korsak were still staring slack-jawed at the medical examiner as she sashayed her way down the hall towards the elevator bank, giving her an instant of peace before the shit-storm her life had become turned into fodder for their teasing.

"Detective Rizzoli?" she heard from behind her, causing her to snap back into an upright position. "I have your witness in Interrogation Room 1 now if you'd like to ask him some questions. I saw you come in early and I figured you would want to question him now." Officer Duncan said with a timid smile.

Any other day of the week Jane loathed to see this man, but today she considered giving him an outright kiss on the lips for the perfectly timed diversion he just gave her.

"Thank-you, Officer Duncan," she said with a fake full dimpled smile as she bolted up out of her chair. "I'll be right there." Jane reached for the case file on Frost's desk and snatched it up into her arms. She avoided eye contact as she hastily made her way towards the interrogation room.

"Duty calls." Jane yelled over her shoulder as she left.

"Yeah, okay. But if you think this gets you off the hook, you're wrong Rizzoli!" Frost shouted after her as he grabbed his notepad off his desk.

* * *

Jane paused for a moment outside the door to the waiting witness. She flipped through the file and skimmed the contents, flustered that she didn't have more time to review the file thoroughly. She hated going into question a witness or a suspect blind. She'd have to do this one on pure emotion, which was probably fine considering she was amped up enough at the moment. She slapped the folder closed and cracked open the door as she heard Korsak and Frost coming down the hall.

"Mr. Keller, I hear you're not being very cooperative," the detective stated crisply, slamming the folder down on the table in front of the witness with a thud. She eyed the middle-aged man up and down considering the best way to break him. It appeared that a few hours in the holding cell had already started to take their toll.

"Listen, I've not had the best day so far, and it's not even 8 am. I'm not about to waste more time fucking around with you here, so don't piss me off anymore." She stabbed the folder with her finger and glared at the man. "This cocaine charge is going to land you a hefty prison sentence. I can probably make that look like a walk in the park when I charge you with accessory to murder," the detective seethed at the man.

"Wait a minute! I didn't kill anybody!" Jason pleaded with her.

"You witnessed the murder and didn't do anything to stop it, did you?" Jane glared at him. "I can get the jury to buy that."

"No, I swear to god. That isn't what happened. My dealer can tell you. He was there, too."

"So he witnessed the murder, too?"

Keller nodded his head repeatedly. "Yeah. And I know where you can find him. He and I are supposed to meet at Dock 15 in an hour."

Frost moved over towards the two-way mirror, watching as his partner towered over the witness, his teeth digging into his lower lip as he looked on in awe. Jason Keller was writing out a statement and handing over another witness, all in less than 10 minutes with Jane Rizzoli breathing down his neck.

"How does she do that? I prepared for 30 minutes and I couldn't get the guy to budge." Frost said to Korsak as the older detective joined him at the window.

"Jesus…poor bastard. He didn't realize he was about to be hit by Hurricane Rizzoli," Korsak chuckled.

Jane exited the room and pushed the folder into Frost's chest.

"That's how you do an interrogation," she smirked.

"I bet you were a bully when you were a kid," he called out to her as she made her way down the hall. Damn her long legs. Frost and Korsak had to speed walk to catch up with her. "You can't run away from us forever."

"I'm not running," she called out over her shoulder. "We've got another witness to catch and we're going to have to hustle our asses off to get there in time to get him."

Frost and Korsak followed Jane to the squad car and they spent the next several minutes making sure Kevlar vests were on and that the guns were loaded and operational. Once everything checked out and a couple of calls were made, Jane got behind the wheel and Frost and Korsak joined her in the car.

Jane drove in silence, continually checking her mirrors and focusing on the road. Her hands gripped the wheel more firmly than normal. Korsak alternated between gazing out the window and looking back to Frost, who appeared about to be ready to burst from the excitement of finally having Jane trapped where she couldn't run from them.

"So…I bet the doctor's a good kisser. What do you think, Korsak?" Frost said with a grin on his face. Jane glared at him in the rearview mirror and gripped the wheel a little tighter.

"I'm not sure. Maybe you should ask someone who would know." Korsak offered.

Jane looked to her right at Korsak for a moment and then put her eyes back on the road. She shook her head slightly in disappointment. "I thought you always had my back, Korsak. Nice to see you think this is funny, as well."

"Sorry, Jane," he answered her. "This is just too good to pass up. I need the juicy details." Jane's right arm flew out and landed a not-so-playful jab into Korsak's arm.

"Ow!" Korsak yelped and rubbed his arm.

"See, that's why I wanted to sit in the back seat," Frost laughed from the back.

"Come on guys, it's not what you think. Just drop it."

"Yeah…not going to happen, Rizzoli." Frost leaned up onto the two front seats. "Spill it."

Jane let out a huge sigh, resigned to the fact that they weren't going to let her off the hook. She readjusted her grip on the wheel and stared out the window, avoiding eye contact.

"It's not that big of a deal. I only kissed her to stop her from giving me a lecture on my incorrect usage of grammar. She started off on that whole "who vs. whom" rant, which you both now really pisses me off."

"Why didn't you just put your hand over her mouth?" Frost inquired.

"Because my hands were pinning her against the door," Jane answered quickly, not thinking about how that sounded. She winced as soon as the words left her lips. _Oh shit, how could I have possibly made this worse?_

"Oh. My. Gawd." Frost choked out from the back seat.

Jane glared at him in the rearview mirror. "What are you, a 15 year old girl?" She shook her head and continued to focus on the road. She pulled over to the side of the street, thankful that they were at the docks.

"Get your shit together and focus on finding this guy," she warned the two detectives who were grinning at her like a couple of adolescent school boys. "I'm going right; you two bozos take the left. Narcotics just pulled up over there," she motioned with her hand. "I'll let them know the plan. Don't fuck this up."

Jane made her way around a storage container, her back hugging it as she held the gun up by her cheek. There was a chance the witness was armed according to Keller, so she was prepared for the worse. She heard the yelling from Frost a moment before she saw the red-headed man run by a container 100 feet away from her. She quickly holstered her weapon on took off on a sprint after him.

Lack of sleep hadn't affected the burst of energy Jane felt as she rounded the corner closing in on the witness. She could see that Frost wasn't far behind her and he was closing fast, as well. She had already felt defeated enough for one day, she sure as hell wasn't going to let Frost pass her and get this man. The man was quick, and he didn't look like he was getting tired. Jane decided to make a bold move. Apparently she was full of those lately. She took one last step and launched herself at the man, extending her entire body to reach out and make a diving ankle tackle.

The instantaneous satisfaction of stopping the man was replaced by the jolt of pain she felt as her body landed on the asphalt, her left elbow and knee taking the brunt of the fall. She felt skin tearing away from her body as she skidded to a halt. Frost already had the man's hands pulled behind his back and was in the process of cuffing him before Jane pulled herself up to her feet.

"Nice tackle, Jane." Frost quipped as he tightened the cuffs. "Looks like it cost you a pair of pants, though," he said as he motioned to the rip on her knee and the blood stain that had started to make its way through the fabric.

"Well, I'll just add that to the pile of great things that have happened to me today." Jane rubbed her hands over her face and took a step over to the adjacent building so she could lean against it, still trying to catch her breath.

Frost handed their witness over to the narcotics officers who had finally caught up with them. They would let them charge the dealer with whatever offenses they could muster before he and Jane would question him about the murder he witnessed.

Jane watched as they took him away and loaded him into a waiting squad car. Frost made his way over to Jane and leaned against the building next to her. She closed her eyes gently as she felt Frost looking at her.

Frost grinned at his partner. It was rare that he saw Jane so vulnerable. He leaned into her and bumped his shoulder against hers. "Hey, you know I tease because I care."

She opened her eyes and tentatively glanced over to her partner. She really couldn't have gotten a nicer partner. Frost was a great detective, and a better friend. She smiled weakly at him. "Thanks, partner."

Frost lightly punched her in the arm. "Now let's get you back to the station. I bet you can find a doctor there to look at that," he smiled pointing to the growing blood stain on her knee.

"Yeah, right. That's how I got into this mess in the first place." Jane pushed herself up off the building and made her way back to her car and a waiting Korsak.

Jane typed out a message to the medical examiner as she walked. No sense putting this off. She needed to face this head on and get it over with. She'd never get any rest until she could clear her mind.

_J: We need to talk. I'll be in the morgue in 15 minutes._

"You call kissing the doc a mess?" Frost said as he caught up with her at the car. "I would call that a great night. How could that possibly be a mess?"

"Oh, I don't know." Jane said as she twirled around, her mouth agape as she stared at Frost. "Maybe because she's my best friend, and neither of us is gay?"

"They say that some of the best relationships start out with people who were previously friends." Korsak said as he took the last few steps to the unmarked, trying to be helpful.

"Oh yeah, I'm going to take relationship advice from you," Jane pointed to Korsak, then scrunched up her face. "Again, neither of us is gay **.** There is no relationship." She ripped off her Kevlar vest and tossed it into the trunk, waiting for the two men to do the same. She crossed her arms and stared at the men, her foot tapping impatiently on the pavement.

"Whatever." Frost said as he ripped at the Velcro straps, clearly frustrated with Jane's bull-headedness. "Then let's get you back to the station so your girlfriend…I mean 'friend', can patch you up." Jane glared at him and got into the car.

They rode in silence for five minutes. Jane finally relaxed the death-grip she had been holding on the steering wheel a little.

Frost felt the need to lessen the tension in the car, so he decided to break the silence.

"So, at least tell me," he started from the backseat as Jane's eyes found his in the rearview mirror. "Does she taste like cherries? I always imagined that's what she would taste like." Jane glared at him and shook her head slowly.

"Just the fact that you've imagined what she tastes like is disturbing." Jane looked at him through the mirror as he smiled back at her.

"I always imagined she would taste like a mix of lavender and vanilla," Korsak said as he stared off into the sky out the window, seemingly in his own world.

"Really? You two sit around fantasizing about what Maura tastes like? No wonder it takes us forever to solve a case. Apparently I am the only one doing any work around here." _She tastes like oak with a hint of cherry and honey undertones. Maybe that was just the wine._ Crap. Now they had her fantasizing about how the doctor tasted.

"I'm not talking about this anymore," she stated to the two men.

"And her tongue…I always imagined-" Jane quickly looked back as her hand flew up towards the back with a finger placed in front of Frost's lips, ceasing his sentence.

"Knock it off! I don't want to hear anymore. You're going to make me crash the dammed car." Jane said as she looked back to the road and put both hands back on the wheel.

"Well, if you do, we know where to take you for your injuries." Frost grinned. Korsak covered his mouth to suppress the smile he couldn't quite seem to shake.

Jane pulled the Crown Victoria into the parking lot, not even tempted to park out front. The last thing she needed was Mo towing her car today.

"Why don't you two get started on the paper work. I'll be up in a minute." Jane took a moment to straighten up her jacket and brush the dirt off her pants that had accumulated from her dive at the dock.

Frost came up to her and pretended to pick a piece of lint off her shoulder. "You look beautiful. Go have a nice time. Don't hurry on our account," he smiled at his partner.

Jane didn't even bother to respond to Frost as she turned and headed towards the door _. I am never going to live this down._

Korsak walked up to Frost. "I sure hope Dr. Isles is ready for Hurricane Rizzoli."

Frost grinned and looked at the older detective. "Well, if anyone can handle Jane when she's like this, it's the doc."

* * *

Maura finished washing her hands in the morgue sink and reached for a towel to dry them. She glanced over at her phone that was setting on the counter and noticed the message from Jane. Maura glimpsed up at the clock and noted the time. Jane would be here any minute. Maura smiled to herself.

_Let the games begin._


	10. Chapter 10

Pushing through the doors of the station, she was grateful for the hustle and bustle of the early lunch crowd that had started to develop outside of the Division One Café. Her stomach was growling for food, but she thought it would be best if she opted for a vending machine lunch today. If she was lucky, she could avoid her mother for a couple of more hours.

Just as she passed the entrance to the café, an arm covered in the tattered remains of an old army jacket reached out for her.

"Hey…hey…where are you rushing off to, Detective Vanilla?" Rondo said as he reached for her elbow to slow her down.

"Rondo, what the hell are you doing here?" she said in a loud whisper, shaking her elbow lose from his hand and taking a step off to the side to avoid her mother seeing her. She noticed the full Styrofoam cup of coffee he was holding. She pointed at the cup, "Can't you get your coffee somewhere else?"

Rondo raised both hands to defend himself against the agitated detective and took a step back, "Hey now, Vanilla. Is that any way to treat your partner?" Jane narrowed her eyes at him, waiting for him to get on with his interruption. She shouldn't be mad at him, but she was in a shitty mood, and he was just going to have to learn to deal with it.

He motioned to the cup of coffee in his hand, "Can't a CI drop by for a coffee break, or is that just for you high-salaried detective types? " She snorted at that remark

"Yeah, right. If I made that much I sure as hell wouldn't buy my coffee here."

"Well, I came here to tell you word on the street was that Monroe offed that dude, but as I was eavesdropping in the café, I heard that you already arrested him." Rondo crossed his arms and grinned at Jane. "You know, you can learn a lot about what's going on around here by hanging out in the café with Mama Vanilla."

Jane let out a sigh and shook her head. "Rondo, you can't be hanging out here all the time. I've got work to do."

"Okay, I'll leave." Rondo's eyes made their way down the detective's body to her bloody knee. "Oohh, _Van-il-la_. That looks pain-ful," he drawled out. "Do you need Rondo to take care of that for you?" he said and then continued with a suggestive smile, "Or anything else you might need taken care of…I'm at your service," he said as he wiggled an eyebrow.

Jane rolled her eyes at him and put her hands on her hips before directing her reply at him. "No, I think I'll let Doctor Isles take care of it for me."

"Oh," he said as he closed his eyes and shivered slightly as he visualized how the doctor could take care of the detective. "Mmm…hmm. I bet she can take care of you just fine, Vanilla." He opened his eyes to the perturbed lanky brunette and let his gaze continue up and down her body.

"Rondo…out." She pointed to the doors, "Before I arrest you for…indecent thoughts about a police officer."

"Oh, Five-0…it would be so worth it for you to cuff me right now." Rondo said as he made a step towards the door.

"Try to stay out of trouble, Rondo." Jane weakly grinned at him. Something about that guy made it hard for her to stay mad at him.

"Hey, Vanilla…make sure you say 'Hi' to your pretty little doctor friend for me," he said with a wink.

"Not gonna happen Rondo," she said before turning to head towards the elevators.

She punched the down arrow on the elevator and let her head fall back to her shoulders as she rubbed at the sore spot in her neck. _Rondo, too? What the hell did he overhear at the café? Jesus Jane, I think you're becoming paranoid._

She waited as patiently as possible for the elevator doors to open, but just as she went to step inside she heard another voice calling from behind her.

"Hey, sis!" Jane stopped and turned around to see Frankie jogging up to her before she made her way into the elevator. He took a moment to look at the torn pants before he spoke. "Nice look, Jane. Are you going under cover as a mugging victim or something?" he chuckled.

"You're an ass," she grinned. Frankie was the only one on the force who had clearance to give her a hard time. She loved her little brother, and knew he had nothing but the utmost respect for her, so she always gave him more leeway than her partners or anyone else in Homicide, for that matter. "Don't you have somewhere else to be?"

"Nah. I'm taking a half day off today. Gotta start burning some of those vacation days." Frankie looked at Jane's disgruntled appearance and sensed today might be a good day to get in an easy game against her.

"Hey. Want to play some hoops over lunch? You've never given me our rematch. I think you've been avoiding me." He moved to put his hands under his armpits and waved his elbows. "You aren't chicken, are you?"

Jane snorted, "Hell, yeah. I can still beat your ass. I could use the exercise to blow off a little steam, anyway."

"Didn't you do enough of that last night?" he quipped a little too quickly before thinking. He knew Jane put up with a lot of his teasing, but when it came to matters of a sexual nature, it was always off limits with her.

Jane cocked her head and narrowed her gaze at her little brother. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"I…uh…I mean ma said…uh…," noting the way Jane's eyes widened at his stammering and the step she took in his direction he decided to quickly change the subject. "…never mind. Meet you at the park in 30 minutes." Frankie took a couple of steps towards the hall, backing away from her, not waiting for an answer.

Jane sighed and mumbled under her breath at her retreating brother, "Sure." _He'd better watch for flying elbows. I might just foul out during the game_.

* * *

The adrenaline from the take-down earlier in the morning had started to wane, and Jane's body was now starting to feel the ramifications from her ill-planned tackle of the material witness. She hit the button for the morgue in the elevator and slumped her back against wall and waited for the slow journey to the basement. The dim ding announcing the car's arrival at her destination wasn't enough to snap her out of her reverie. She didn't move until the sound of the doors clamoring open pulled her out of her dazed state.

Jane pushed her way through the morgue doors and spotted the medical examiner at one of the tables going over carefully labeled vials of evidence. The rest of the morgue was empty. Apparently, the crime lab technicians had already headed out for an early lunch.

"Maur, we've got to talk…," the detective started as she painfully shuffled her way towards the doctor.

Maura looked up from her work and her eyes widened at the site of the blood stain that had made its way down the detective's shin. "Jane! What on earth happened to you?" She closed the remaining distance between the two women and directed the detective over to one of the empty tables.

"Get up here so I can take a look at that," she motioned to the silver slab.

The detective groaned, "Maura, I am not getting up on the dead person's table."

The doctor put her hands on her hips and shook her head at the petulant woman. "Jane, that table is completely sterile. It's cleaner than my office, plus all my first aid equipment is out here."

Reluctantly, Jane hopped up onto the table, dangling her legs off the side. She always felt uncomfortable having any doctor examiner her. The feeling of having someone scrutinize every aspect of her body always made her feel inadequate. The fact that Maura was the one doing it now didn't quell her uneasiness, it only exacerbated it.

Maura slid up to her on her stool and rummaged through her bag for some supplies. She looked up from the bag and winced, slightly shaking her head at the sight before her.

"Oh, I don't know if we can save that," Maura said. Going into full-blown medical examiner mode, she started reeling off her initial diagnosis. "Deep abrasions… penetrating cuts appear to be from either a hard solid surface, possibly a shard of stone. I could do further analysis, but I don't think it's necessary."

"What the hell, Maur?" Jane yelled, slightly panicked by the doctor's statement. "You haven't even looked at my knee. It's not that bad!"

"Oh no, Jane. I was talking about your boot. See that cut in the toe? It's rather deep. I don't think that can be repaired. The good news is that your boot must have absorbed some of the blow from your fall taking a least some of the pressure off your knee." The doctor grabbed Jane's hands and examined them for any damage. Not finding anything wrong she stood up and put out her hand. "Give me your jacket."

"Excuse me?" A baffled Jane said to the doctor as she slipped off her coat.

"Just as I suspected. You have bleeding on your left elbow as well." The doctor pointed to the smaller blood stain on Jane's white oxford. "I figured that if your boot and knee had this much damage and your hands were fine, you must have landed on your elbow, as well." The doctor grinned at Jane, waiting for the detective to reward her for her analysis.

"That's great, Doc. But I'm a living person here, so can we get on with the clean-up of the reddish-brown stain that is running down my leg?" She smiled at the doctor, knowing that she wanted to be acknowledged for her correct hypothesis. "And yes, you're very good."

Maura winked at her, "You have no idea."

Jane signed and rubbed her hands over her face before looking back to the doctor. "Maura…we have to talk about last night. And about this morning," she added.

"That's fine, Jane. But first, can I clean up your knee and elbow?"

Resigned to the fact that the doctor wouldn't be able to focus on anything until Jane was cleaned and bandaged, Jane nodded her head.

"Sure. Let's get this over with." She wasn't sure what was going to be more painful; getting the gravel out of her knee, or talking about the kiss last night. She was pretty sure talking about the kiss would be, though.

Maura smiled at her warmly. "Great. Okay, just go ahead and remove your pants and I can get started."

_Maybe not. The knee might be just as painful._


	11. Chapter 11

_Maura smiled at her warmly. "Great. Okay, just go ahead and remove your pants and I can get started."_

_Maybe not. The knee might be just as painful._

* * *

"Maura! I'm not taking my pants off in the middle of the morgue!" Jane shrieked at the doctor.

Maura giggled at the detective's reaction, "I'm sorry, Jane. I just couldn't resist. Of course you don't have to take your pants off for me to clean the wound." The doctor carefully rolled up the leg of Jane's trousers until her knee was exposed. She unzipped Jane's boot and set it off to the side and removed her bloody sock.

"Nice toes, Jane." She admired the freshly manicured foot and smiled up at the brunette. "I didn't know you went for pedicures that often. You declined the last time I asked you to go with me."

"I like to be well groomed," Jane replied, straightening her shoulders a little _._

_I wonder what else you have 'groomed'._

"It's just that I can't afford to go to that fancy place you like all the time. Plus they take _for-ev-er,"_ she drawled out the last word.

Maura winked at her, "Maybe they just like your exceptional toes." She lightly ran the pad of her index finger over the bright red toenails.

Jane twitched at the soft touch, "Yeah, right." She watched as Maura examined her toes. "Do you think you could focus on the part of me that is emitting the reddish-brown stain?"

The doctor's eyes flashed up to meet Jane's impatient gaze. "Yes, of course. Sorry. Your toes distracted me," she answered unabashedly. She sat Jane's foot between her legs on the stool as she prepared to clean the blood that had run down her shin.

Maura prepared several alcohol pads for the task, carefully laying out her supplies in an orderly fashion. Most of the blood was dry, so some gentle rubbing was required to clean the area. The doctor's left hand steadied Jane's calf as her right hand worked on cleaning the blood. She slowly and methodically worked her way up Jane's shin, her left hand gently caressing her calf on the way up her leg _. God, her skin is so beautiful and warm. The gastrocnemius muscles are very well defined._ Maura froze her touch on Jane's calf for a moment. _This is highly inappropriate of me. I need to focus on cleaning the wound._ She went back to gently rubbing the skin clean _. But it is so hard to focus with her foot between my legs. She can probably feel the heat radiating off my body._ Maura continued up to the knee and to the fresh wound.

"Okay, this part is going to hurt," the doctor warned.

Jane nodded, "I know. Go ahead and do it." She gripped the side of the table to brace herself.

Maura irrigated the area to remove most of the dirt and dried blood as carefully as she could. Jane's leg tightened and flinched at the burning sensation. Maura closed her eyes for a moment as her center clutched at the feeling of Jane's calf muscles flexing under the fingers of her left hand. _Extremely unprofessional, Maura._ The doctor admonished herself internally. _Pull yourself together._

"Sorry about that Jane. I know that had to hurt." The doctor gently rubbed the side of Jane's leg with one hand as she looked through her bag for a gauze pad and some tape.

"I've had worse. No worries." Jane's tense body started to relax a little now that the cleaning was done.

Maura applied some ointment on the gauze and placed it over Jane's raw knee. She grabbed the roll of medical tape and found the end of the strip. The primal sound of the adhesive ripping off the next layer of tape sent a jolt of electricity through Maura _. I can think of other things I'd like to bind with this tape_. Maura looked up at Jane as she bit into the tape with her teeth to tear off the piece.

Jane noticed what appeared to be a feral look in the doctor's eyes above the roll of tape as she tore off the piece _. Is she enjoying this? No, you're just paranoid. Get your shit together, Rizzoli. Maura is too professional for something like that. Get your mind out of the gutter. You're no better than the damned guys._

"Thanks for patching me up, Doc." Jane jumped off the table once Maura had secured the tape over her knee.

"Let me get your elbow." Maura motioned to Jane's arm.

Jane looked down at her blood-stained arm. "Sure. I suppose I need to take my shirt off for that?" Maura nodded coyly, remembering the neck massage last night and Jane's reaction to her request to remove her shirt.

"It's a good thing I always wear two shirts. It comes in handy at times," Jane smirked as she shed her oxford and stood in front of Maura in her white tank top.

Maura proceeded to clean the wound, steadying Jane's arm with a firm grip to her bicep. The wound on the elbow wasn't nearly as bad as the knee.

"Okay, all done," Maura said as she put back her supplies. "I cleaned them out the best I could, but it might be beneficial to soak them in a bath of Epsom salts tonight to draw out any potential infection."

"Maura, you know I don't have a tub in my apartment," Jane said as she slipped the shirt back on her arms and worked on fastening the buttons.

"You're always welcome to use mine. " Maura smiled at Jane. "I have plenty of candles."

"Maura, you know that's what started this whole mess." Jane paced around the morgue, her hands rubbing through her unruly curls.

"What mess, Jane?" Maura asked in her most innocent tone as she walked into her office, Jane following closely behind her. The detective closed the door and clicked the lock. She sure as hell didn't need one of Maura's lab assistants walking in on this conversation.

"You know damned well what I'm talking about," Jane huffed, throwing her arms out wide. "Don't even pretend to not know why I'm so upset."

Maura looked at Jane and calmly replied, "Why are you so upset, Jane?"

Jane gritted her teeth at Maura's nonchalant attitude. "Really? You're going to pretend like you have no idea why I'm so upset?" Jane waited for Maura to respond, but she just smiled at Jane in return, rather enjoying the frustrated antics of the detective.

"Okay, listen." Jane rubbed both hands at the bridge of her nose trying to determine how to get through to the calm medical examiner. "You can't just act like nothing happened last night. I don't know what happened to me, but I never should have done that."

"Done what, Jane?"

"You're going to make me say it, aren't you?" Jane stared at the smaller woman across the room. Maura shrugged her shoulders feigning interest.

"I never should have kissed you. I'm sorry." Jane walked up to Maura and gently grabbed her arms and looked Maura in the eyes, willing Maura to take things as seriously as she was. "I'm really sorry, Maura."

The doctor smiled at her concerned friend and patted her arms. "Jane, I told you last night that there was no reason to be concerned about that kiss. It's no big deal. If it would have bothered me, I would have told you. You're a very passionate person and you got caught up in the moment. I wish you would stop saying you are sorry."

Jane let her arms fall down to her own sides and regarded the other woman for a moment.

"Why are you so calm about this? I'm over here freaking out, and you act like it's no big deal."

Maura tilted her head slightly at the detective. "I don't see why you are making a big deal out of it. I rather enjoyed it. Couldn't you tell?" The corner of Maura's mouth curled up in a slight smile. "Maybe if it would have lasted a little longer I could have shown you how much I liked it."

"Don't say that, Maur. Best friends don't kiss like that."

"Oh, really? Then how should we kiss, Jane? " The doctor looked at Jane with a raised eyebrow, waiting for an answer.

Jane took a deep frustrated breath. "We're not supposed to kiss at all, Maura! You know that. You're just trying to be difficult." Jane flopped down onto Maura's couch and buried her head in her hands. "You like seeing me all flustered, don't you."

Maura took a seat next to Jane and gently rubbed her back. "Jane, I'm sorry. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable about this. Nothing has changed. We're still best friends. We still love each other, just like we did yesterday morning. Nothing is different." Jane raised her head and smiled weakly at the doctor as she tried to comfort her. "We just happen to know how each other's tongues feel now." The doctor flashed a bright smile at Jane.

"Auggh! Maura! Stop it." Jane looked at the doctor as she shot up off the couch and shook her head at the smaller woman. _Her tongue is velvety smooth, warm and soft. I regret nothing. Dammit…stop thinking about her like that._

Feeling the need to give Jane a break from all her teasing, Maura popped up off the couch. "It's almost noon. Do you want to grab some lunch?"

Jane let out a sigh. "No, I promised Frankie we'd play some hoops over lunch. I'll just grab something on my way. I'm still trying to avoid my mother."

Maura looked at Jane and smiled. "Don't worry about your mother. You're going to give yourself an ulcer."

"Trust me…you're doing a good enough job of giving me an ulcer without any additional help." Maura's smile slowly melted from her face. Jane instantly felt bad about her comment. It didn't matter how uncomfortable she was, she never could get over seeing Maura upset. She'd do anything to keep a smile on her face.

"Maura, listen…it's Friday. How about drinks after work? You just as well be involved with all the torture the guys are giving me over this." Maura's face immediately lit up as she nodded her head in the affirmative, accepting Jane's invitation. "By the way, thanks a bunch for dropping that bomb on me this morning. What the hell was that all about?"

"What are you talking about, Jane?" Maura asked innocently.

Jane opened the door and leaned against the frame. "The ' _Jane kissed me'_ bit. You don't know how difficult that has made my life. I'm never going to hear the end of it."

"I'm sorry, Jane. I guess I just got caught up in the moment."

"Yeah, well. Try to keep it to yourself. I don't need the whole department to know about it."

"Of course, Jane. My lips are sealed." Maura pursed her lips and ran her finger and her thumb across them slowly before smiling at the retreating detective.

* * *

Jane made her way through the bullpen to grab her keys off her desk. If she hurried and changed at the station she could still meet up with Frankie at their agreed upon time.

Frost perked up once he saw her enter their area. "Hey…is it lunch time yet? I'm starving. Korsak and I were thinking Mexican for lunch. You in or are you eating with Maura?" He waited for her answer as he took a gulp of the luke warm coffee he had been nursing for the past half hour.

"Nah, I've got some sweaty 1-on-1 action lined up for lunch. You guys have fun," Jane said as she turned to leave. Frost choked on his coffee and ended up spewing half of it back into the cup.

"Jesus, Jane. Can't you wait until after work?" Frost managed to say as he wiped the rest of the coffee off his face with the back of his hand.

Jane turned back around to look at Frost and shook her head at him. "Again…mind - out of gutter, please. I'm playing basketball with Frankie, for Christ's sakes." She noticed the coffee stain on his crisp white shirt and grinned a little internally. _Serves him right._

"I'm going to run home after the game so I can get some clean work clothes. I wouldn't want you speculating about my whereabouts if I'm not back in an hour." She tossed her hair over her shoulder as she made her way to the locker room.

"A guy's free to dream, Rizzoli!" Frost yelled back to her as he wiped at the coffee stain on his shirt.


	12. Chapter 12

Jane was glad to be out of the bloodied clothes and into her comfortable t-shirt and basketball shorts. The sun had finally broken through the overcast sky, warming the air to a comfortable level. The tiny bit of sunshine was enough to brighten the detective's day slightly, even considering the crappy morning she had gone through already.

Even though she was tired, cranky and more than a little sore from the scrapes on her knee and elbow, Jane was really looking forward to playing a little basketball with her brother. A punishing workout was just the type of thing she needed to relieve the stress she was currently feeling. Frankie was leaning over the bench tightening the strings on his basketball shoes when she got there. He turned around when he heard her footsteps from behind. "Hey, Jane."

She nodded a hello to him. Jane was in the mood for physical aggression, not conversation. She grabbed the ball and moved onto the court. "You ready to play? I've only got 30 minutes."

He looked at the gauze on her knee and elbow. "Are you sure you're up for this? I don't want you to use a couple of scratches as an excuse for losing to me."

She grinned at him and tossed him the ball. "Nah, no excuses. Let's play."

There was something comforting about the sound of the ball pounding against the pavement to Jane. Basketball always was more than just a sport between Frankie and her. They bonded over hundreds of games as kids. She often thought that it was quite possible Tommy 's lack of interest in basketball is what led him astray, and why she and Frankie were so close as kids and remained so into adulthood.

As kids they would play late into the night most evenings during the summer. They'd play until the physical exertion would wear them down to the point that they would collapse into the grass of the side yard. From there, out of breath and too tired to move, they would talk about the stars or anything else that had been on their minds, such school and sports. As they got older, the conversations changed to boyfriends, girlfriends and job related things. Pretty much all of life's major questions and decisions could be hashed out after a good workout on the court between the two of them. At least they could until Angela Rizzoli yelled at them to come inside for a shower.

"You must have something on your mind. I don't think I've ever beat you that badly." Frankie said as he wiped the sweat from his face with a towel. "You weren't focused. That's not like you."

Jane wiped the moisture off her forehead with the back of her hand and took a seat on the bench. Winded and exhausted, she slumped over and rested her elbows on her knees. "Yeah, I guess my mind wasn't on the game."

"Want to talk about it?" He nudged her with a sweaty shoulder as he took a seat next to her on the bench and put the ball back into his bag.

She looked up and stared out in the distance at a bunch of school kids playing on the playground; their small voices echoing across the park as they squealed in joy. She envied them. The way they laughed and ran freely, without a care in the world.

"I don't really want to, but I suppose I should." Jane nodded her head towards the children. "Sometimes I wish I was twelve years old again. It was so much easier back then."

Frankie looked at the group of kids. "Well, you were a better basketball player back then." He grinned at his sister, but noticed that she didn't return the gesture. She just stared at the group of kids with a solemn look on her face. He could tell that whatever it was that was on her mind was weighing heavily on her.

"Hey, whatever it is that's bothering you can't be that bad. Talk to me."

Jane turned to look at him. _Jesus, this is so hard._ "Okay. I'm going to tell you something, but I want you to promise not to be upset at me, or laugh at me or tease me about it after I tell you. Everyone seems to think this is funny, except me."

Frankie looked at her and nodded his head. "Sure Jane. You know you can trust me."

Jane took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment before speaking, willing herself to keep it together. "Last night, I kissed Maura." She turned to look at Frankie's reaction, but he just sat there emotionless, like she had just mentioned that she had eaten a ham sandwich for lunch.

She looked at him and raised her palms into the air. "Nothing? You're not going to say anything to that?" She shook her head, astonished that he didn't seem to think her announcement was anything short of life-altering.

"I'm sorry Jane. It just doesn't surprise me that much." He said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Me… kissing a girl…doesn't surprise you?" She said pointing a finger at her own chest. "I'm not gay, Frankie. I never have been, so why on earth would you think it would be normal for me to kiss Maura?"

Frankie slung his arm around his sister's shoulder and gave her a reassuring hug. "Jane, it's clear that you two love each other. Whether it's as the sister you never had, or something more than that, I'm fine with it. It really doesn't matter. You've spent the last two years practically dating each other, so I guess the fact that you kissed her doesn't surprise me. I'm happy for you." She contemplated his words for a moment.

"But I'm not sure that I'm happy for me." Jane said quietly as she melted into her brother's embrace a little deeper. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind. Too many to sort out after just one short basketball game. "It's all very confusing. That's not who I am, Frankie. I'm not the dyke detective that I've been called for the last 5 years." She took a deep breath and slowly let it filter out of her lungs. "Am I?" She mumbled under her breath.

"I hardly think one make-out session with another woman makes you gay." Frankie offered, trying to make his sister feel better.

"I wouldn't call it a make-out session. It was just one kiss."

At great risk of bodily harm, he decided to go ahead and ask the question that was on the tip of his tongue. "So what happened when you kissed her?"

Jane thought back to the kiss that she had replayed in her mind at least a hundred times; going over all the evidence like it was a crime scene that needed to be processed. She'd analyzed the way Maura's eyes had fluttered shut, how her mouth instantly relaxed and opened allowing Jane to deepen the kiss. The way Maura's wrist relaxed under Jane's grip as her lips covered the doctor's, and most importantly how Maura's other hand reached for her hip and pulled Jane closer...not pushing her away. She had all the evidence she needed.

"Well…I think she liked it." Jane looked awkwardly at her brother. He raised his eyebrows, waiting for more details. She rolled her eyes and mumbled, "I'm not really sure because I kind of freaked and bolted out of her house as soon as I did it."

"You did what?" Frankie choked out, trying to suppress the laugh that was trying to escape his mouth.

"I know, I know." Jane shook her head, more than a little embarrassed at her sophomoric behavior last night.

Frankie looked at his sister's furrowed brow and shook his head. "Jesus, Jane. If Dr. Isles was even remotely interested in me, I'd do cartwheels through the station in front of the whole force. I sure as hell wouldn't run away."

"Come on, Frankie. Cut me some slack. She's my best friend. I don't want to mess that up," Jane whined, hoping for a little sympathy instead of laughter out of her little brother.

"Okay." He stifled the laughter as best as he could. He had promised her that he wouldn't laugh at her, after all. "I'm sorry. It's just that I'd bet the farm that was the first time anyone had ever bolted on Dr. Isles after a kiss." He might have been able to choke back the laughter, but he couldn't keep the grin off his face.

Jane considered her brother's remarks for a moment. A small smile crept up onto the corner of her mouth.

"God, I am such a moron." Jane covered her mouth with her hand a moment before the chuckle slid out uncontrollably. Soon her whole body shook with laughter at the thought of how ridiculous she must have looked. It felt so much better to laugh at her situation than to fret and stew over the ramifications of that one kiss. Maybe Maura was right. It wasn't a big deal. Everyone else got a big kick out of it, why couldn't she?

"See, nothing to worry about." Frankie said once the laughter died down between them.

Jane wiped the stray tear that had escaped her eye during her fit of laughter. "You're probably right. She said I was overreacting. " Jane took a deep breath and rolled her head, stretching the muscles in her neck. "Nothing has changed, I was just being paranoid."

"Glad that's settled. It's nice to know our basketball therapy sessions still work."

"When did you get to be so smart and insightful?" She smiled up at her little brother.

He stood up and grabbed his bag. "I have entirely too much time to think while I'm driving around in that patrol car." He reached out his hand to help Jane up off the bench.

"Thanks, little brother." She chucked her shoulder into his as they made their way off the court.

"Hey, have you talked to Ma today?" Frankie asked out of the blue as they reached their cars.

Jane dug her keys out of her bag and looked over at her brother, "No. I've kind of been avoiding her. Why?"

"Oh, nothing. But if you do see her…tell her she owes me $20 bucks."

* * *

The afternoon had flown by in a fury of paperwork and more interrogations as the detectives finished up the loose ends in the murder case against Monroe. Jane and Frost had questioned their runner from this morning after Narcotics had filed their charges. The few pieces of information he had supplied had been passed on to some other detectives that were pulling the weekend shift. They were officially off the clock for the next 48 hours.

Frost eyed the clock up on the wall. "Looks like its quitting time. Jane, are you coming with us?"

"Hell, yes." She grabbed her blazer off the back of her chair. "I've been thinking about that first drink since about 7:30 this morning." She smiled at Frost and Korsak. "Plus, I know you two have been waiting to grind salt into my wound all afternoon. I'd hate to disappoint you."

Frost's face broke out into a huge grin. "That's the spirit. Is Maura coming with us?"

"Of course. I figured I wouldn't stand a chance against you two without her there." She straightened up her collar and grinned at both men. "You're always more respectful around her." Jane tapped out a text to Maura telling her to meet her in the parking garage.

Korsak grabbed his jacket and locked his desk. "You driving with us, or are you going with Maura?"

"I don't trust being in the car alone with you two anymore, so I think I'll ride with Maura." Jane replied, shaking her finger at both men.

Frost put his hands on his hips and cocked his head at Jane. "I'm not so sure that I trust **_you_** in a car alone with Maura. Do you need Korsak to chaperone?"

"Oh, L.O.L , Frost," Jane answered him sarcastically.

"Frost, I'd be more concerned about them riding the elevator together." Korsak piped up, not wanting to miss out on any of the teasing. "I heard the surveillance cameras weren't working, so you know-"

"You're both just jealous." Jane quickly said, cutting off Korsak.

Frost raised an eyebrow at her, "You're damn right, I am."

Jane flicked off her monitor. "Enough. I can't take anymore of this without a couple of drinks in my system. Go get the booth and make sure the first round is sitting on the table before I get there."

"Are you that bossy with Maura, too?" Frost winked at Jane as he and Korsak headed towards the door.

Jane rubbed at her forehead as she headed towards the elevator.

_Shit. This is going to be a real long night._


	13. Chapter 13

She wanted to be here, she really did. Normal is what she needed. What was more normal than the Dirty Robber with Maura and the guys on a Friday night? She hesitated for just a moment before pushing the door open. The old oak door seemed the weigh twice as much as usual.

"Okay, Maur. You ready for this?" Jane asked nervously as they entered the bar.

Maura smiled at the other woman. "I'm ready Jane. Just relax. Everything is fine."

Jane let loose of a shaky breath. "I know. Just…just try to remember that you do have a filter in that big brain of yours. You don't have to give out all the details of last night."

Maura squeezed Jane's hand lightly. "Let's go. Some immersion therapy is in order."

Jane peered over to the booth where Korsak and Frost were sitting and saw an extra bottle of beer waiting for her on the table. Korsak got up out of the booth and moved over to sit by Frost so the two women could slide into the other side together.

"Oh thank god," she said as she grabbed for the beer and took a healthy swig.

"Dr. Isles, I wasn't sure if you wanted red or white wine tonight, so I held off on ordering for you," Frost mentioned. Maura reached for the drink menu to go over her choices.

"I might try something a little different tonight, anyway Barry," she said as she perused the list.

Frost sat up a little straighter and pointed at the list. "They have a few new ones there you might be interested in, Dr. Isles. There's a Chocolate Kiss and a French Kiss listed there now." He grinned at Jane's eye roll as she took another large swig of her beer. Maura continued to look over the menu carefully.

"I wonder if they can make me a Kiss Me Quick? It's not listed on the menu, but I bet Randy knows how to make it." Maura grinned at both Frost and Korsak as Jane just shook her head.

"Really? Okay, you know what…you stick to wine. Red or white. That's the only choice you get."

Frost took a drink of his beer and sat the bottle back down on the table. "Mmm. You are bossy, Jane. Don't be a party pooper. We're here to have a good time tonight."

"Well, I'm sure three of us are going to have a good time tonight," Korsak chuckled.

Jane took a deep breath and tried to relax. "Fine. You're right. We're here to have fun. Apparently all at Jane's expense tonight."

"So Dr. Isles…are you going to elaborate on the details of your evening last night? You're partner in crime here as been very tight-lipped about the whole thing today."

"Oh, I don't kiss and tell, Barry." She grinned at Jane. "But I wouldn't say her lips were very tight last night." The men had a good laugh at that one across the booth as Jane rubbed at the bridge of her nose. So much for the doctor being helpful tonight.

"Great. I can't wait until you start drinking." Jane picked at the label on her bottle.

Frost pushed his way past Korsak out of the booth. "What did you decide on, Dr. Isles? I'll go up to the bar and get it for you. I need to get some music going in this place, anyway."

"I think I'll just go with the usual Pinot Noir. Thanks, Barry."

Jane drained her bottle and shouted as he headed towards the bar, "Grab me another one, Frost!"

Korsak motioned at the bar with his bottle. "See those four guys standing over there by Frost? They are all in the Narcotics unit. I guess the guy you caught today was a major dealer in south Boston. We did them a helluva favor when we brought him in today."

"Well, I'm glad someone had a good day today," Jane quipped.

Frost made his way back to the booth with Maura's wine and Jane's beer. Jane tweaked her head to the side as she listened to the music that had started playing from the jukebox in the background. "Hmm. Frost, I never would have pegged you for a Neon Trees fan?"

Frost grinned at her, "Their new song is catchy, isn't it Jane? _Everybody Talks_ , I think it's called."

"Nice try, Frost." Jane took another swig from the bottle. "I'm glad you all think this is sooo hilarious. As a matter of fact, since you all get a kick out of it so much maybe I should just start kissing everyone good morning when I come into the office?"

"Don't you mean you should just kiss them good-bye?" Maura grinned and patted Jane's leg under the table.

Jane cocked her head in Maura's direction. "Really?"

"Oh, do tell." Korsak uttered across the table as he clasped his hands together under his chin.

Jane's hand found the doctor's knee under the table and she gave her a small pleading squeeze. Maura shook her head demurely and avoided making eye contact with Frost and Korsak.

"She doesn't have anything further to say," Jane answered for the doctor.

Frost turned to the older detective. "Korsak, I do believe someone has coerced our witness?"

"Jane, did you tamper with our witness?" Korsak asked.

Jane patted Maura's knee. "I didn't do anything other than a little coaching…like any good defense attorney would do. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Excuse me," the bartender interrupted. "These are from the gentlemen at the bar. They said to tell you thanks for the help today." He sat down four shots of tequila.

"Oh, tell them thank-you for us." Korsak answered as the bartender turned to leave.

Jane was the first one to grab at the shots. "Just what the doctor ordered," she said as she raised the glass and drained the shot. She winced slightly as she slammed the glass back down onto the table.

Maura looked at the remaining shot glasses on the table and grimaced. "I don't think tequila and red wine would mix very well."

Taking that statement as her opening for another quick drink, Jane grabbed for the other shot glass. "Not a problem, I can take care of that for you. Boys…here's to a good time tonight." Jane raised the shot to Korsak and Frost and they all three clinked the thick glasses together and drank.

"Jane, you should probably slow down." Maura said, a little scowl forming at her brow. "You don't want to have a hangover in the morning. Remember we're supposed to go for a run."

Jane leaned back in the booth and stretched out her neck. "Yeah…I don't see that happening tomorrow, Maur." Running after tequila was never a good idea. And she had a feeling she wasn't done drinking, yet.

* * *

The foursome ordered a bite to eat. Maura picked at her salad as usual and stole Jane's fries when she wasn't looking. Jane enjoyed a greasy cheeseburger, along with Frost and Korsak. She was thankful that the conversation was at a minimum while they ate. She chewed slowly, trying to prolong the meal.

Korsak gazed at the two women. The wager had been going on for over a year. Frost and Korsak would discuss it from time to time whenever they noticed that Dr. Isles was present when Jane took a phone call at 1:00am, or at times when an early morning call would come in and they would both show up in the same car. They were good detectives, but a rookie patrol cop would expect something was up if he spent more than a week around the two women.

"So you two really aren't going to tell us if something is going on between you?"

"There's nothing going on, Korsak. Drop it." Jane rubbed at her temple. Being persistent was a good quality in a detective, but it was highly overrated when it came to friendship.

Sensing the brunette's frustration with the men, Maura patted Jane's hand. Science always helped her understand things better. It helped her put things in order. Maybe that's all Frost and Korsak needed to let this go so Jane could relax and enjoy her evening. "Jane's just had a lot of pent up aggression lately. Sometimes that just manifests itself and it needs to be released. Causes can be anxiety, work related stress, sexual frustration, potentially causing one to…"

Jane's hands immediately flew up to stop the doctor's rambling. "Okay…hold on there. Not helping. Not at all!" Korsak covered his face with hands, trying to cover the smile that had crept over his own features, while Frost's mouth hung open in shock at the spectacle of his partner's antics trying to quiet the doctor.

"I'm sorry, Jane." She never could understand how facts about the human body could make Jane so embarrassed.

Frost cleared his throat. "So Jane…when are you going to ask the doctor out on a proper date?"

The detective tilted her head back and her eyes searched the ceiling for something to focus on…something to take her mind off of this torture. The alcohol had started to kick in and Jane was starting to feel a little more relaxed and comfortable. She could handle this. It's not a big deal. Things like this probably happen to other people all the time.

"What makes you think I would be the one to ask her out? Because I'm the stereotypical butch cop? You of all people, Frost." Jane shook her head in mock disappointment at her partner. "I wouldn't ask her out, anyway." Jane stated flatly as she diverted her eyes from the group and worked on peeling the label off of her beer bottle.

Maura turned to her, aghast. "What is so horrible about dating me?"

Jane took her eyes off the bottle and looked at the doctor's hurt expression. "Nothing. I'm just saying that you'd probably have to ask me out. I would never ask you out on a date."

Frost and Korsak watched in amusement at the quarrel unraveling before their eyes.

Maura was speechless. Shaking her head, she tried and failed to understand the conversation they were having.

Jane turned to face her in the booth. God she hated it when she made Maura feel bad. "Look, all I'm saying is that I couldn't date you. I mean look at you." Jane motioned to the impeccably dressed woman. "I can't possibly compete with that. I certainly can't afford to take you to the nice places you like to go and the expensive restaurants you like to frequent. Hell, I couldn't even afford to buy you those $15.00 glasses of wine you drink in this place, let alone what you would order at one of those fancy five-star places that I can't stand to even go to."

The doctor's hands moved to her hips as she looked at the detective. "When have I ever made you pay for anything when I asked you to go to those types of places?"

"Never. But it always makes me uncomfortable when you do and you pay for everything."

"Why would that make you feel uncomfortable when I ask you to go as my guest?" Maura asked as she shrugged her shoulders trying to understand Jane's perspective. Both women seemed to have forgotten the two men sitting across the both from them.

"Maybe she thinks you expect her to put out if you pay for everything," Frost sniggered.

"Real funny, Frost." Jane shot a look at her partner. Jane settled back into booth and roamed her eyes over her three friends. "Have you all lost site of the fact that neither one of us is gay? Let's just have another round and move onto another topic."

"Jane, I believe one's sexuality is fluid. Attraction to…"

"Again…please. Stop talking. Not helping." Jane shook her head at the doctor. Frost was unable to stop the laugh that erupted from deep within his belly.

Maura ran her finger over the rim of her wine glass. Maybe she had been pushing Jane too hard. She thought a few drinks would lighten up the detective, but it had seemed to only make her more defensive.

"I'm sorry, Jane. You're right, we should change the topic. Barry…did I hear correctly that the murder weapon was found this afternoon?"

Jane leaned back into the booth and relaxed slightly as the conversation returned to their normal topics for The Robber. Rehashing the current cases, going over any weekend plans…it was all so much easier to handle than the elephant in the room. _Maura said it was no big deal. Everything was fine. Like hell it was._

"This has been a blast and all," Jane stated as she rose from the booth, "but I think I need to stretch my legs a bit. I'll get the next round." She headed off to the bar as the three continued on their discussion about their preferences for the best places to get an ordinary cup of coffee versus the more elaborate lattes that Maura preferred.

The three continued on discussing the merits of organic beans versus the normal commercially produced varieties. Korsak zoned out once Maura started spouting off statistics regarding the carbon footprint of paper versus Styrofoam cups. He noticed that Jane had been gone for quite a while, so he craned his neck to see where she had gone.

"Whoa. Looks like somebody is on the prowl tonight." Korsak motioned with his beer bottle over to the bar where Jane stood talking to the men from narcotics. They watched as Jane flashed her dimpled smile and reached out and affectionately touched the handsome lead detective's forearm as she laughed at something he said. Maura watched in silence at the spectacle. _What in the hell is she doing?_

Frost chuckled, "I guess those shots are starting to kick in." Frost raised his glass to Korsak and the men clicked their beers together in an impromptu toast. "At least one of us is going to get lucky tonight."

Maura sat still in the booth, paralyzed by a mixture of panic and anger. If she hadn't pushed Jane so hard, she wouldn't be acting so promiscuous right now. Jane Rizzoli does not flirt with other cops at a cop bar. Maura stared at the group of men hanging on Jane's every word. Jane normally wouldn't have given any one of them the time of day. If the three of them hadn't been goading her all day, she wouldn't be sidled up to the bar flirting with half of the narcotics department.

Maura pushed her wine glass away from her and wiped her hands on a napkin. She was not about to let Jane make a fool out of herself. The doctor slid to the end of the booth.

"Looks like Jane is trying to assert her 'straightness'. I better stop her before she does something she'll regret." She stood up and smoothed out the nonexistent wrinkles from her skirt before heading to the bar. Frost and Korsak exchanged an uneasy glance.

"Oh boy. This is going to be good." Korsak chuckled.


	14. Chapter 14

The doctor walked up to the bar where Jane was chatting with the men from Narcotics and gently placed her hand on Jane's shoulder. Jane turned to look at the shorter woman, surprised to see her standing there. "Hey, Maur. I was just thanking the guys for those shots earlier. Do you need something?"

The doctor smiled sweetly at Jane and nodded a hello to the small group of detectives, never one to be rude. "I do actually. Can you come with me for a moment?" Maura tugged at Jane's elbow, not waiting for a verbal response from the detective.

The doctor pulled Jane down the hallway towards the restrooms, stopping once they were out of earshot of the other bar patrons.

"What the hell are you doing, Maura!" Jane asked as they came to a stop.

Maura let go of Jane's arm and shook her head slightly at the taller woman. "I'm stopping you from making a huge mistake."

"What are you talking about?" Jane asked, stunned by the doctor's actions.

Maura took a breath to calm herself down before continuing. "I…I don't want you to wake up with one of those men tomorrow morning, and then have to help you deal with the guilt and disappointment of your actions."

Jane took a step back and crossed her arms over her chest. "Weren't you the one spouting off to my **_partners_** ," she said the word especially loud so Maura knew how embarrassed she was earlier, "about my sexual frustration? You're always promoting the benefits of casual sex. Why is it all of a sudden not so beneficial?"

She rubbed a hand through her hair and tried to find words to answer Jane. She had always found comfort in science, but this time it was conflicting with her emotions. She fought to come up with a logical explanation, but her mouth only opened and closed, no coherent words to be found.

"What do you want?" Jane begged of the other woman, getting more frustrated with the doctor's behavior.

"I want you…" Maura hesitated for a moment, and tore her eyes away from the detective's gaze, finding the peanut covered wood floor easier to stare at than the deep brown eyes of the other woman. "I want you to come with me."

"Back to the booth? No thanks, I've had enough of that tonight. I'm fine right here."

Maura shook her head. "No, I want to leave. Let's go home."

"Why don't you stay here with me? Frost and Korsak are fine by themselves. We don't need to babysit them." Jane said as she tilted her head, searching Maura's face, trying to figure out why the other woman was acting so strangely.

"Please, Jane." Maura said. "I need to take you home."

"No…no you don't. I've had a long week, and I want to finally relax. You were right earlier. I've been stressed out more than normal lately. Maybe I need to…" Jane looked to the ceiling, searching for the right words "…to relieve some tension. I haven't been acting like myself lately and I've been taking it out on everyone around me."

Maura flinched at Jane's words. The doctor rubbed her sweaty palms together and blew a shaky breath between her fingers, trying to no avail to calm her nerves. _This isn't working. I need to change tactics._

The doctor cleared her throat, trying to find her voice that had seemed to have eluded her. "For me. " Her hazel eyes caught deep brown ones as Jane's head snapped to meet the doctor's gaze at the words. "I need you to leave for me. I need you tonight."

The agitation immediately melted from the detective's face with her concern for the doctor. Her hand instinctively reached out and touched Maura's forearm, her thumb caressing the skin under her touch.

"Maur…what is it? Are you okay?"

Maura shook her head slightly. "I don't want to have this conversation here. Please…come home with me."

Jane let out a breath, resigning all the fight left in her. "Okay. Sure. Whatever you need, Maur."

* * *

The car ride to Maura's house was filled with uncomfortable silence. Jane became more uneasy with each passing block. It was so unlike Maura to drive in silence. She normally prattled on about the local architecture or history about the businesses they passed to keep Jane occupied while they drove together. The detective in Jane knew that if Maura wasn't talking, it meant she was tumbling around thoughts inside that big brain of hers, over analyzing…trying to solve something.

The car rolled to a quiet stop in Maura's driveway. Jane reluctantly pushed on the door handle and got out of the car and followed the doctor to the front door and into the house. The silence was unsettling.

Jane walked through the living room and into the kitchen, bypassing the drawer where she normally would have stowed her badge and gun. She had an uneasy feeling that she wouldn't be staying long.

"Aren't you going to take off your jacket?" The doctor held out her hand, anticipating Jane's compliance with her request. Jane shrugged her shoulders and removed the jacket and handed it over to the smaller woman. She leaned back against the countertop and crossed her arms in front of her chest, waiting for the doctor to carefully smooth the jacket before laying it across the back of the sofa.

Maura turned around and worried her hands in front of herself. Taking a deep breath, she addressed the detective. "Thank you, Jane…for leaving with me. I know you didn't really want to come here."

Jane found it hard to look directly at Maura, her eyes finding the kitchen cabinets much more interesting. She stayed silent and waited for Maura to continue. She was the one that wanted to have the conversation, after all. Jane was perfectly happy to never speak of it again.

Maura nervously rubbed her fingers together before continuing. "Jane, I think we need to talk about last night." She wavered for just a moment before she continued, "And what almost happened tonight."

The detective buried her fingers in her hair and rubbed her head in frustration, cringing at Maura's words. She knew it was coming, but that didn't help lessen the sting at hearing the words come out of Maura's mouth.

"You know, I think I've heard enough about last night from you, Frost and Korsak. I really don't want to talk about it anymore." Jane shook her head slightly. "I wish last night would have never happened."

Maura's jaw dropped at the words as they fell from Jane's lips. It took her a second to recover from hearing them before she could utter a reply. "How can you say that?"

"It's changed everything, Maur. You keep saying it was no big deal…that nothing is different, but everything is different."

"It's only different because you are being difficult. Can't we both just admit that last night's kiss was really nice?"

Jane looked offended at Maura's choice of words as her mouth opened in shock. "Nice? Really? You seemed to enjoy it a little more than that." Jane's lip twitched a little smugly as she cocked her head to the side to look at the doctor.

Maura looked at Jane with wide eyes, caught off guard at the detective's arrogant reply. "I'm sorry. I didn't think that you would want me to tell you the truth…that I found the kiss highly erotic."

Just the word 'erotic' rolling off the doctor's lips made Jane flush as she became painfully aware of the heightened arousal between her legs. The detective gulped a breath of air before responding, "Yeah, you're right. I could have done without that." Jane wasn't aware that she was gripping the countertop at her sides so tightly that her knuckles were turning white.

Maura took one tentative step closer to the detective. The movement out of the corner of her eye made Jane raise her head to look at the doctor. She nervously cleared her throat. "What do you want from me, Maur?"

"I want a do-over," she stated flatly.

Jane's breathing froze at the statement. _What…the...fuck?_

"You what?" Jane responded, slightly shocked at Maura's statement.

"You heard me. I want a do-over of last night." Maura relaxed as she continued to explain herself. "I want to rewind to last night, but this time I don't want you to run out of the door after we kiss." Jane's eyes widened at the doctor's words. "I want to see your reaction…know your feelings…talk about it, even though I know you won't want to talk. I just don't want you to run from it. I want to face it together…with you."

"This is a crazy idea. Probably THE craziest idea you've ever had."

Maura smiled at the detective's attempt to avoid the inevitable. Maura Isles always got what she wanted from Jane. Tonight would be no different.

Jane continued, "You know, maybe I'm drunk. Maur, you know what tequila does to me. You wouldn't want to take advantage of me in this state, would you?" Jane's attempt to deflect Maura's advances fell on deaf ears.

"You're not drunk." Maura took a step closer. "Your speech isn't slurred, there doesn't appear to be any problem with your balance, and your pupils are fine." She said, peering into the other woman's eyes.

Jane cleared her throat and leaned back from the scrutiny of the doctor's examination. "Well, you seem to be better attuned to my body than I am."

Maura smiled devilishly, "I've been attuned to your body for quite some time, detective." She moved over to the cabinet and retrieved the remote to her sound system. Two or three button clicks later, the soothing music from last night started flowing from the speakers throughout the house again.

"I can light some candles, if you'd like." The doctor moved over to the wall to turn the lights down in the kitchen, only leaving one small light on over the stove. "You know…try to create the same environment as last night. In the name of science, of course."

Jane nodded her head tentatively at the over-confident doctor. "I suppose you want me to pin you up against the wall then, huh?"

The left side of Maura's face curled up into a smile as she lit a candle. "If that would make you more comfortable…fine." She blew out the match.

_Jesus._

The tightness in the detective's chest was making it almost impossible to breathe. She needed to calm down. To slow this…this…thing - whatever it was…down. This was happening way too fast. She was losing control of the situation, and that never made Jane comfortable.

"Well, I'm as least buzzed. You wouldn't want to take advantage of me in my slightly intoxicated state." Jane narrowed her eyes at the doctor.

"Maybe you are just being paranoid." The doctor crossed her arms and regarded the taller woman. "Why are you so skeptical?"

Jane took a step away from the counter creating a little space from the doctor. "I'm a detective. It's my job to be skeptical of people. People inherently try to trick me. What do you expect?"

"I expect you to trust me." Maura moved one step closer to the detective, closing the distance she had just created. "Have I ever steered you in the wrong direction?"

Jane's eye twitched slightly as she took another step away from the advancing doctor. "Ah, see that's the other thing people do. They try to lead me down the wrong path…throw me off my game. "

The doctor took a sideways step to move towards the detective, never breaking eye contact. "But you know me better than that."

Jane let loose a deep throaty chuckle at that statement. "Oh, Dr. Isles…I'm finding that there are a lot of things I didn't know about you." She stopped moving, realizing that she was probably coming off as a scared teenager. She was a decorated homicide detective, for Christ's sake. Why was she running?

Who was she kidding, she was scared shitless. Scared shitless of the woman across the kitchen that she had been best friends with for years. The woman that she didn't even seem to recognize right now. There was something different in her eyes…something Jane had never seen before. Whatever it was, it was making Jane feel like Maura was the hunter, and she was the hunted.

Jane opened her mouth to respond to the smaller woman, but no words found their way to her lips. She was totally blindsided by Maura's request to recreate last night that she couldn't come up with a response. Maura chanced another step towards the detective. Jane's head shook slightly. "I don't think I can do this, Maura."

The doctor moved another step closer, her face breaking out into a comforting smile at her nervous detective. "Yes, you can." She took the final step towards Jane, now just inches from the other woman. "Let me help you." She reached out and placed her fingers inside the waistband of Jane's pants, the backs of her knuckles brushing the crisp white oxford shirt next to Jane's skin. Jane's knees buckled slightly at the touch. The doctor tugged slightly as the badge slid off of Jane's belt.

"We need to get you comfortable. I want to do this with Jane…not Detective Rizzoli." Maura smiled up at the taller woman. Jane let out a puff of air she hadn't realized she had been holding. _Breathe, you dumbass. You don't want to pass out before you kiss her._

Maura moved her hands delicately to the other side of Jane's waist and worked at the holster attached to Jane's belt gently. The smaller woman fumbled slightly and let out a little laugh. She grabbed the holster more firmly and gave another tug, but the holster wouldn't budge. Jane looked down at the doctor, trying desperately to get the holster off of her belt.

Even as nervous as Jane was, she couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her lips as she grinned down at Maura struggling with her weapon. She could sense the doctor was getting embarrassed at her inability to get the gun freed from her belt. A seductive Maura fumbling and getting frustrated was just so cute, Jane couldn't help herself. It also let Jane realize that if she wanted to, she could turn the tables tonight and be in charge. If she was going to do this, she was going to do it right, dammit. She liked control, and now was her chance to exert it.

"Here, let me help you." Jane took Maura's hand by the wrist and helped her remove the holster and gun. She handed them over to Maura and watched as she laid them on the kitchen countertop by the discarded badge. Jane leaned back on the countertop, and felt the familiar impression of hardened steel at her back.

"You're not done yet." Jane said as she motioned to her back. Maura leaned in a little closer, tiny wisps of her hair bushed against the detective's cheek as she snaked one hand around Jane's waist until she felt the cold steel against her fingers. A smile grew on the doctor's face as she pulled the handcuffs off of Jane's belt with a slight tug.

Straightening herself back up, she dangled the cuffs in front of Jane's face. "I think these would be best saved for another time," she said with a slightly wicked smile as she winked at Jane. She placed the cuffs on the counter next to the holstered gun.

"Where were we?" Maura said as she resumed her place in front of Jane.

The detective swallowed what little moisture was left in her throat. "Well, I think we were trying to recreate the scene from last night, but…" she waved a hand in front of the doctor still adorned in her work clothes, "you're still dressed as the Chief Medical Examiner of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts." Jane grinned slightly. "Last night, you were dressed as Maura in your comfortable clothes."

"Somehow I think that if I go to the bedroom to change, you'll be gone when I get back." The doctor smirked at Jane.

Jane returned the grin. "You're probably right." She took a deep breath. "I guess I'll just have to make do and get you looking a little more casual." Jane pushed herself up off the counter so she stood face to face with the doctor.

"First thing…ditch the shoes." Maura complied, kicking off the heels and casually pushing them out of the way with her feet.

"Much better. If you're going to keep those clothes on…I mean if you're not going to change," Jane shook her head slightly at the poor chose of words, "Then I'm going to have to make you look a little more comfortable." Jane squared her shoulders, raised her chin and took a deep breath through her nose. She leaned into the shorter woman and tentatively reached a hand around her waist. She placed her hand at the small of Maura's back, while her other hand gently found a home on Maura's hip. The doctor's eyes fluttered at the intimate contact, her back arching ever so slightly at the detective's gentle touch. Jane smiled a little to herself. _Two can play at this game._ Jane's palm remained at the small of Maura's back while her fingers raked up the doctor's back, each stroke gently pulling Maura's shirt out of her skirt with the slow, seductive movements.

Maura's hands made their way up to the outside of Jane's shoulders, needing something to hold herself upright while encompassed in Jane's arms. Jane could feel the doctor's shallow breaths against her cheek as she worked the last bit of Maura's shirt free. She let the fingertips of her right hand rest at the bare skin of Maura's back just above her skirt, slowly circling the sensitive skin there with a light caress.

"That's better," Jane's deep voice whispered into Maura's ear. "Now I need to do something about this hair." Jane moved her head back slightly so their eyes met. Maura remained transfixed to Jane's deep chocolate eyes as Jane broke eye contract to follow her fingertips as she gently rubbed the hair at Maura's temple with her left hand, lightly tousling the hair there, curling it through her fingertips. She gently trailed the back of her fingernails down through the doctor's soft locks behind Maura's ear. The soft touch made Maura take in a sharp, shaky breath.

Jane's fingertips continued down as they brushed the tender soft skin below the doctor's ear lobe and ran down the length of the doctor's neck to the warm skin over her collar bone. She trailed her hand back up to rub the nape of the doctor's neck with her fingers as she leaned in and nuzzled the other side of the doctor's neck with her lips and nose.

"You're so beautiful." The words weren't more than a whisper, and Maura could feel them against her neck more than she could actually hear them.

Maura felt as though she was melting into the detective's touch. Never had she been the recipient of such tender treatment. "Kiss me." She pleaded with a quiet whisper into Jane's hair as her own hand wound into dark curls.

The detective placed a soft kiss to the doctor's neck, then gently trailed her lips along the doctor's jaw line up to the corner of honey blonde's mouth. Jane closed the distance and captured the doctor's lips in a slow, languid kiss. Maura's grip in Jane's hair tightened as she pulled the detective in closer to deepen this kiss. Jane could feel the moan coming from the back of Maura's throat, which sparked a desire in Jane she hadn't realized she was capable of. Her hand moved up the doctor's back under Maura's blouse, stopping only once she reached the material of the bra. Her other hand grabbed a fistful of the doctor's skirt as the pressed into the smaller woman, melding their bodies together.

Maura opened her mouth slightly, her tongue finding the detective's willing and waiting for hers as they ground their lips together, each angling for better contact…wanting more from the other woman. They were so engrossed in the kiss that neither one heard the first tentative knock at the back door. The second knock was much louder, and it caused both women to startle and grab at their chests in shock as the noise brought them back to reality. Jane sprung into action first, and marched over to the back door to find out who was causing the interruption.

"Ma! What the hell are you doing banging on Maura's door this late?" Jane yelled as she flung the door open to see her mother standing outside the door.

Angela peered around her daughter into the darkened kitchen, and noticed the doctor frantically tucking her shirt back into her skirt.

"Janie, I can't win with you! Last night you yell at me because I don't knock and now tonight you scream at me when I do knock." She looked at both women. "Am I interrupting anything? Jane, you're panting like you just ran a marathon."

Jane shook her head and rubbed her brow with her free hand, her body still leaning on the door for much needed support. "No ma, you're not interrupting anything. What are you doing here?"

"Again, I saw it was dark over here so I came to check on Bass." She looked over to the unusually quite doctor. "Maura, you really should start leaving your kitchen light on so I stop barging in over here."

The doctor swallowed a gulp of air and nodded an acknowledgement to the older woman. "Duly noted. Thanks, Angela"

Angela turned and noticed Jane's firearm, badge and handcuffs sprawled out across the kitchen countertop. "Jane! How many times have I told you not to leave your gun lying around out in the open! I can't believe Maura appreciates you doing that. You should be more respectful of her house than that. You know she has a drawer for you to keep those things in while you're over here." Angela put her hands on her hips and gave a stern look at her daughter.

"Yes, Ma. You're right." Jane grabbed her gun and strapped it back on her belt. She turned to look at the doctor. "Sorry, Maur. I guess I forgot to put it away."

Maura gave an uneasy smile. "It's okay."

"Jane, have you bothered to take care of your own pet tonight?"

Jane's hands flew to her watch to look at the time. "Shit! No, I forgot all about her. Maura and I went straight to the Robber after work. I left my car at the station."

"Well, get in the car with me. I was just heading out to get some milk anyway. I'll drop you off at home." Angela stated as she turned to leave. Jane hesitated for a moment, exchanging an uneasy glance with the doctor. "Now, Jane. I'm not getting any younger."

Jane grabbed the cuffs and her badge off the countertop and headed to the door. "Okay." She turned to look at the doctor. "I'll see you later, okay?"

Maura nodded her head, trying to come out of the trance she apparently had fallen into. "Sure. Yes, I'll see you later."

* * *

The car ride to her apartment with her mother was just as quiet as the one she had shared with Maura on the way home from the Robber. It was just as unsettling, too. Her mother was never quiet in the car. Her mother was never quiet period. What could have been a good time for some processing, was instead just nerve wracking as she tried to figure out what was going through her mother's mind.

Angela pulled the car up to Jane's apartment building. She turned and smiled at her daughter. "There you go, Jane. Give Jo a scratch for me."

Jane got out of the car and leaned down to thank her mom for the ride. "Thanks, Ma." She then remembered something from earlier in the day as she stood to leave. "Oh, hey. Frankie said to tell you that you owe him 20 bucks."

Angela peered up at her daughter as a smile slowly formed on her lips. "No, I think he has that wrong. He owes me 20 bucks." With that said, Angela put the car in gear and slowly pulled away from the curb, leaving a very confused Jane Rizzoli staring at the taillights.

* * *

Maura paced around her house, frustrated at the interruption by Jane's mother minutes ago. How could she have just let Jane walk right out the door? She glanced over to the keys on the kitchen counter.

_I should probably go over there. No, she probably wants to process what just happened on her own._

_I can't stop thinking about her lips…her soft, warm lips. And her hands. Jesus, her strong hands gripping at my back…_

The doctor shook her head, trying to clear her mind. She walked over to the mirror by the door and stared at her reflection. The doctor smoothed out the wrinkles in her shirt and narrowed her eyes at the woman in the mirror looking back at her.

_Maura Isles is no quitter._

The doctor reached for her keys and headed out the door.


	15. Chapter 15

The water droplets pounded into her skin, tiny scalding spears tearing at the newly scabbed over flesh from the day's earlier wounds. But she didn't feel any pain. Her body welcomed the soothing feel of the hot shower against her sore muscles, her scrapes and the tension that she was holding in the rest of her body.

Jane's shower was a place of respite. She stood under this shower head after each time Hoyt made an appearance in her life. She let the water beat all the fear and hate out of her body. She stayed until the water turned ice cold, if needed. Stayed until all the horrors from her job were washed away.

But sometimes she just needed to think, and the shower was the perfect place for that, too. And tonight she needed to think. She didn't want to think, but she needed to think. Needed to figure out what the hell had transpired over the last 24 hours. Needed to determine what had turned her world upside down. And she needed to do it while Maura wasn't gazing at her with those lust-filled eyes.

Jane was concentrating on a miniscule crack in the tile on the wall, trying to process all of this when the first knock came at the door.

She snapped out of the daze she was in when she heard the second, more powerful pounding at the front door. Quickly turning off the water, she reached for a towel as she heard her name getting called from the hallway.

"Jesus Christ, Maura…you're going to wake all the neighbors." Jane yelled in a hushed whisper as she flung open the door with one hand, while the other hand clutched the towel that was wrapped around her body. Water droplets continued to run down her shoulders and knees in her haste to get to the door.

Maura quickly entered the apartment as Jane shut the door behind her. "I'm sorry! I kept calling your phone to let you know I was here, but you weren't picking up and then when you didn't answer…well…I…I was just worried."

Jane looked at the worked up doctor as she made her way into the apartment.

"Oh…My…God." Jane feigned a horrified expression, "Please don't tell me you are one of those crazy-stalker types." Shook her head in mock disgust. "Oh, I knew I should have never kissed you. Look at what it's done to you." She waved her hand at the doctor's exasperated expression.

"Okay. Nice Jane," the doctor looked at the grinning detective. "Is that what you are going to do…laugh about this whole thing?"

"Come on," Jane said as she tousled her damp hair, "it's a little funny…you have to admit that."

Maura shook her head at her friend and sighed. She took in the full view of Jane in the towel, her eyes moving from her bare, glistening shoulders down the length of the towel to the exposed thighs above her knees. She cleared her throat slightly. "Your scrape looks much better." She said, as she pointed to the detective's knee.

Jane's eyes followed Maura's finger down to her knee. "Yeah, well…I had a good doctor."

 _Oh, you could have had a good doctor…back at my place…if your mother hadn't walked in._ Maura shook her head slightly to clear the thought from her head.

"Well…it's healing nicely. It doesn't look like there is any infection."

Jane took a deep breath as she regarded the other woman. She knew why she had come over here. She wanted to talk. Ugh.

"Listen…make yourself comfortable. I'm going to go throw some clothes on, okay?"

Maura nodded and made her way over to the couch, making herself as comfortable as possible. She was a little taken aback at Jane's cavalier attitude about the night's events. She figured once the detective had time to think about the kiss they had shared, she would panic. She certainly didn't expect her to be so casual. There was no way that kiss didn't affect her. It had shaken Maura to her core.

Jane returned a few moments later with an old worn Red Sox t-shirt and boxer shorts. Maura's eyes met Jane's as she entered the room. "You look nice."

Jane stopped and pulled her chin in little at the remark. "Really? This does it for you?" Jane chuckled at Maura's words as she looked down at her ridiculous sleeping clothes. Jane leaned on the back of the couch with extended arms and pushed on it, testing the strength. "Do you want to go for it right here on the couch?" She looked to the front door, "Or would you rather we do it up against the door? The bed's always an option, but I honestly can't tell you the last time I changed the sheets."

Maura narrowed her eyes at the detective. "What has gotten into you?" Jane made her way around the couch and plopped down at the other end, throwing her feet up onto the coffee table.

The detective let out a large sigh. "I finally figured it out." She looked over to the doctor, who waited for her to elaborate on her revelation. "None of this has anything to do with me. It's all you."

"Me? What are you talking about?" The doctor straightened up more on the couch as she waited to hear Jane's explanation.

Jane smiled at the doctor's naivety. "Really? You haven't figured it out yet? Come on, you're the genius. I'm just a detective." Jane leaned back into the arm of the couch and put her legs up on the couch, extending them towards the doctor so she could look at Maura directly.

She tapped her toe on the doctor's thigh. "You. You need to get laid." Maura's hand flew up to her chest as she took in a gasp of air.

"What? Whatever gave you that idea?"

Jane buried her foot under the doctor's leg as she sniggered at the doctor's reaction. "Oh, come on Maura! You've been acting crazy lately."

Maura stood up at Jane's accusation. "I have not been acting crazy!"

Jane reached up and grabbed the doctor's hands, coaxing her back down to the couch. "Oh please, Maura…the whole do-over thing? That was in-sane." Jane elongated the last word to get her point across to the confused woman setting across from her. Jane gave a sweet half smile at the doctor as she patted her hands.

Maura was left speechless for a moment as she tried to read Jane's face and actions. Was she showing her…pity? Dear god, no.

Maura swallowed, trying to regain some sense of composure before continuing. "Jane, you can't tell me that you didn't feel anything back there in my kitchen. You can't just brush this off as me being needy." Maura cringed at her own words. "Please don't just dismiss this as…"

"I'm not saying I didn't feel anything." Jane cut the other woman off quickly. She looked at Maura with a serious expression on her face to let her know she wasn't taking her next words lightly. "I can't say that it wasn't wonderful…both times. I'll admit that." Jane released the air from her lungs. "But I think…I think you have to look at the cause and effect. The effect is one thing; the cause is a completely different matter."

Maura shook her head, trying to understand what Jane was getting at with her point.

"Maura," Jane tenderly put her hands on the doctor's forearms. "When was the last time you went out on a date?"

The shorter woman squinted her eyes, and tried to think back to the last date she had. "Exactly my point," Jane finished for her, not letting the doctor answer. "You've been wasting all your time hanging out with me. Neither one of us has had a serious date in weeks." Jane leaned down to look into Maura's eyes. "I'm a camel, Maura. I can go months without. That's a proven fact." Jane snorted a little at the thought. "But you…you have…" _Oh my god, I can't believe I'm going to say this out loud._ "…needs." She let a huff of air out of her lungs at having gotten that out without fainting. "You've mentioned that to me on several occasions in the past…unfortunately."

"Jane, those needs can be met in other ways, without a partner I…" Jane interrupted her with frantically waving hands in front of her face.

"Stop! Please stop talking!" She shook her head at the doctor. "Please don't enlighten me anymore. And please, don't over analyze this. And stop trying to make me analyze this."

Maura shook her head a little, disappointed at Jane's willingness to chalk the last 24 hours up to her own sexual frustration. In a way, she was right. But in the larger picture, she could see that Jane wasn't ready to come to grips with the possibility of having a deeper relationship with her. In the back of her mind, she knew she couldn't push Jane any further. Not tonight, anyway.

"Okay, Jane. Whatever you wish." Maura stood up and straightened her skirt and took a step towards the door.

Jane bolted up off the couch. "No, don't go." The detective grabbed Maura by the elbow. "It's late, you should just stay here." She felt bad about how this night had gone so far, and the last thing she wanted was for Maura to go home alone.

She looked down at the doctor and wiggled an eyebrow. "I have an equally sexy pair of sleeping clothes that you could borrow," she motioned to her t-shirt and boxers. That earned her a grin from the doctor.

"Where am I going to sleep? You only have one bed." Maura quirked her head at an angle, waiting for Jane's answer.

"Hmm…," the detective thought for a moment, "I'll let you sleep with me, but you have to keep your hands to yourself."

Maura snorted, "I'll try. You do the same."

"Oh, don't worry about me. I'm not a cuddler." Jane said as she made her way into the bedroom to lay out the clothes for Maura.

* * *

Maura snuggled in under the covers as Jane turned off the bedside lamp, leaving the room in total darkness.

Maura asked Jane quietly, "Where do we go from here, Jane."

Jane pondered the question. She knew Maura wanted a deeper, more definitive answer, but she couldn't bring herself to go there tonight. She needed her life back to where it was…easy and comfortable.

"You've been spending too many nights hanging around me. You need to get out more. Go to one of those 'meat market' places so you can get your groove back on, Maur." Jane teased the doctor.

Maura shrugged her shoulders at Jane's suggestion. It's true that she used to enjoy going out to clubs…mingling with people. But she had been content with her life as of late. Watching a movie at her place or a game at Jane's apartment with take-out containers spread out on the kitchen countertops was comforting. "But I enjoy spending time with you, Jane."

Jane moved her hand over until she found Maura's fingers. She gave Maura's hand a small squeeze.

"Okay. I can't believe I'm going to say this," she mumbled the last part under her breath, "Tomorrow night I'll take you to that new club you've been wanting to go to for the last month."

Maura perked up onto one elbow and looked at Jane. "Really? You'd do that for me? But you hate going to dance clubs."

Jane turned her head to the side to look at the doctor. "Of course I'll do that for you. You've pestered me for weeks trying to get me to go there. Trust me, I'm going to hate every minute of it, but I'll do it…for you."

Maura relaxed back into the pillow next to Jane. "Jane, that…that's really sweet of you."

The detective huffed, "What I wouldn't do for your sexual satisfaction," she gave the doctor's fingers another gentle squeeze.

The darkness hid the grin that spread across Maura's face at Jane's comment. "Well, then. You'd better get some sleep."

The innuendo of the comment was lost on the exhausted detective. "Night, Maur."


	16. Chapter 16

She took in a deep breath, eyes still tightly closed. The rhythmic lull filled her with contentment. Was she floating? She squeezed the pillow she had been clutching, snuggling in to prolong her morning in bed. Soft, but firm. Too firm for her pillow, actually.

A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth as she noticed the barely perceptible circles that were being drawn on her back over her t-shirt. The touch so light it was obviously meant to comfort, not disturb her sleep.

"You're awake," the doctor said quietly as she stilled her hand.

Jane grinned at the doctor's perception. "How can you tell? I haven't even opened my eyes yet."

Maura softly chuckled, "Your breathing pattern changed. I could also feel you smile."

Jane carefully creaked one eye open, not wanting to wake up from the comfortable slumber she had enjoyed all night. She was greeted by an up close and personal view of the doctor's taut abs, her t-shirt having ridden up a few inches above the waistband of the shorts she was wearing during the night.

Jane blinked twice to take in the view before her, noticing that she had conveniently used Maura as a body pillow during the night. The doctor was flat on her back, one arm tucked behind her head, two pillows slightly propping her up, while Jane's head was located in the middle of her chest. The detective's right leg was thrown causally over the doctor's leg, entwining them together.

"How long have you been awake," Jane asked, not making an attempt to move from her position sprawled on top of Maura.

The doctor took in a deep breath through her nose and resumed her light caress on Jane's back. "Oh, for awhile now. Probably 20 minutes."

Jane smiled slightly, "You could have thrown me off of you, you know. This can't be comfortable for you." Jane's eyes gazed at the doctor's exposed midsection and her own arm slung carelessly over the doctor's hip. Jane sighed in contentment. She'd never been a morning person, but if she could wake up every morning like this, she was sure she would be much more tolerable at work before her morning coffee.

"You're warm. Plus, I wanted to disprove your statement from last night. You are, in fact, a cuddler." Maura giggled softly as her hand lightly brushed back an unruly lock of Jane's hair behind her ear. It was so casual, no meaning behind it, yet the light touch to Jane's sensitive skin there sent a jolt of awareness somewhere deep in her belly.

"Yeah, well…I told you tequila can make me do crazy things," Jane said as she hugged the smaller woman's hip with her arm. "What have you been doing?"

The doctor stilled her motions again before answering, "Just thinking about things."

Jane took in a breath and asked tentatively, "What kinds of things?"

The doctor softly snorted, "Don't ask me questions that you might not want to hear the answer to. You know I'll tell you the truth."

Jane remained quiet for a few moments. The doctor resumed her light massage on Jane's back.

"Maura…I'm sorry about last night."

"Which part?"

The trill of Jane's phone on the nightstand interrupted the conversation. As she made a motion to reach for the phone, she winced in pain, "Oh shit! My freaking neck!"

Maura gently slid out from under the detective, easing her back down on to her stomach. Maura reached for the phone and handed it to Jane, "That probably wasn't the best sleeping position for you. I'll go grab some ice."

Jane clutched the phone in her hand and brought it up to her ear. Pain caused her to grimace into the receiver, annoyed at the interruption.

"What is it, Frost?"

Frost rolled his eyes. Jane was not a morning person. "I thought I'd better make sure you made it home okay. You left without saying good-bye."

Jane rubbed at her forehead with her free hand, trying to wake herself up and focus on Frost. Her mind kept wandering back to the doctor in the other room. "I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me, Frost.". She grunted breathlessly as she tried to move herself up on her side, the pain in her neck shooting down her shoulder.

Frost could hear the bed shift in the background as Jane tried to move and a muffled _Fuck_ not meant for his ears. A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Did you make it home alone last night, Rizzoli?"

"Not exactly," she huffed into the phone as she tried to shift her weight back again, unsuccessfully. Another strained _Oh, fuck_ made its way out of Jane's mouth as she tried to move.

Maura quietly made her way into the room, not wanting to disturb Jane while she was on the phone.

"I've got you," the doctor said quietly as she leaned down and grabbed Jane gently to help move her. Frost crooked an eyebrow at the sound of the familiar woman's voice in the background, "On your back," she gently instructed.

Jane let out a loud sigh as Maura lowered her onto the pillow, relief at finally being in a more comfortable position. "Oh, God...that feels good."

Maura slid the ice pack under Jane's neck, eliciting a sharp intake in the detective's breath. "Oh...oh..." she gasped at the feel of the cold pack on her skin.

Frost swallowed at the sounds in his ear, his mind quickly filling in the gaps that his eyes couldn't see.

"Is that okay?' the doctor whispered.

"Just a little lower...yeah, right there...that's...oh, that's good." Jane looked to the phone in her hand, realizing that Frost hadn't said anything in a while.

"Frost, did you call for something else?"

Barry shook his head slightly, trying to pull himself together. "Um, yeah…I did. But I can't remember what it was now." He listened at his partner's labored breathing on the other end of the phone. "I should probably let you go. You sound like you're busy."

"Yeah," Jane let out breathlessly as she adjusted to the coldness on her neck, "that would probably be a good idea." Jane ended the call and handed her phone back to Maura.

Maura returned the phone to the nightstand. "What did Barry need?"

"He just wanted to make sure I made it home okay last night."

"Oh, that was nice of him." Maura scooted up onto the bed to lie next to Jane, both staring up at the ceiling.

Maura turned her head and looked over at Jane, "Don't think this gets you out of taking me out tonight, Rizzoli. You promised."

Jane chuckled, "Oh, I wouldn't think of it." She took a couple of deep breaths, finally relaxing a little as the coldness helped deaden the pain slightly. Her face scrunched up as she thought about going to the club.

"Please don't tell me I have to get all dressed up tonight."

"From what I've read, this club has a rather eclectic mixture of clientele. I'm sure whatever you would like to wear would be fine."

"I don't suppose you would tone it down a little tonight so that I don't look so out of place next to you," Jane said with a wry smile, knowing full well that the medical examiner would never do such a thing.

Maura leaned over Jane and poked her once squarely in the chest. "Now why would I do that? The whole point of going out was so that I can get laid, right?"

Jane winced at the statement, "Yeah, that's what I was sorry about. I could have probably said that differently."

"You could have said it differently, but in the end…that's what you meant." Maura pushed herself off the bed and headed to the kitchen. She returned with 2 ibuprofen and a glass of water. She smiled at Jane. "Keep icing…20 minutes every hour. I'll be back at 8 to pick you up tonight." She patted the detective's leg. "No excuses, detective. Even if I have to cover your neck in Icy Hot, we're going out tonight." Jane groaned and rubbed at her eyes as Maura grabbed her clothes and headed out to leave.

* * *

Jane flexed her neck side to side, working on stretching out the muscles to help alleviate the pain as she finished cleaning up her lunch dishes. She just finished screwing the lid on the peanut butter jar when her phone went off again.

"Yeah, Frost…what is it?"

"Are you alone this time?" he sniggered.

"Yes, I am. Did you remember why you called this time?" she countered.

Frost cleared his throat. "Yes, I do. You remember Ryan…the guy that had those amazing seats at Fenway? He can't go to the game tonight. I've got an extra ticket with your name on it. You in?"

Jane stretched her head back and looked towards the ceiling, "Oh, shit. I can't go tonight, Frost."

"What? You are shitting me. They are playing the Yankees tonight!" Frost said, shocked that Jane was turning down the tickets.

"I know, I know. It's just that…" she paused as she rolled her eyes before continuing, "I promised Maura I would take her to this club she has been wanting to go to tonight."

"You can take her to club another time. Call her, she'll understand."

Jane sighed heavily, "No, she won't. Sorry Frost, I can't go."

Frost shook his head, "You are so whipped, Rizzoli. Don't even try denying it this time. I know you two are together. She spent the night last night…you are turning down tickets to a game that I'm pretty sure you said you would um, I believe the quote was 'blow him' for those seats last year."

"It's not like that, Frost." Jane whined into the phone.

"No, it's okay. I get it. I'd totally blow off these Sox-Yankee tickets if the doc would want me to take her out."

Jane covered her face with one hand, "Frost, just don't…" she let out an exasperated breath, "You've got it wrong, okay? Nothing happened last night."

"Whatever, Rizzoli." Frost grinned to himself. He marked the date down on a piece of scratch paper and put it in his pocket. As long as she denied it for 8 days or longer, he would win that portion of the bet. "Have a good night tonight. And thanks for blowing me off. Now I have to take Korsak."

"Well, you two kids have fun. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

* * *

Jane looked in her closet, trying to decide what to wear. The last week had been hectic, and she was limited in what she could wear since she hadn't had time to keep up on laundry lately. Her choices were restricted, but that suited her just fine. She wasn't going out tonight to 'dress to impress' as her mother always said. She was more than happy to play the role of fly on the wall tonight. She much preferred to people watch in these types of establishments rather than mingle. The more plain she looked; the less likely people would bother her. The less people bothering her, the more time she had to look after Maura. Jane would be 'on the job' tonight. Scoping the place to make sure Maura was safe from unwanted advances. The doctor was too naïve…too nice to some men. She actually believed that they just wanted to dance. This was precisely why Jane had avoided going out to the club with her in the first place.

With one final glance in her closet, she decided on the simple black leather jacket. Maura had pleaded with her to buy it a few weeks ago, but Jane hadn't worn it, mainly because she can't remember actually going out anywhere that required her to change clothes after work. It matched her old worn black engineer boots. She was sure Maura would be completely appalled at her fashion choices tonight. Faded, lose fitting jeans, the old boots, boring white t-shirt. At least she would like the jacket.

The doorbell rang at exactly 8. Jane shrugged on the jacket as she opened the door. She took a step back as she took in the site before her. Maura was dressed in a form fitting, low cut black dress. Small straps over her toned shoulders were the only thing holding the abundant cleavage in place. The doctor's sculpted legs were accentuated by the black heels. Jane would have her work cut out for her. She might need to pack a nightstick to beat off the droves of men that were sure to make their way to Maura tonight.

"Wow, you look amazing," Jane said as she looked from the Maura's feet, up her legs, along the slender hips and waist, pausing just a little too long at the doctor's chest before making eye contact. She smiled at the other woman. "As I expected, of course."

Maura smiled at the compliment. "You look great, too." She took a step towards Jane and ran her finger along the zipper of the opened jacket. "I knew this jacket would look good on you." She smiled at Jane as she stared into the other woman's eyes. Jane looked into the hazel eyes before her. It would be so easy to just place a hand on her hip and lean in and close the remaining distance. She waivered for just a moment as she shifted her weight slightly toward the doctor, the gravitational pull so strong between the two women it was hard to resist. She let out a breath as she moved her weight back onto the heels of her boots. Jane nervously cleared her throat.

"Um…well, we should probably go." She grabbed Maura's hand. "I promised you I'd take you out tonight."

Maura let out the breath she had been holding in anticipation of this kiss that didn't happen. "Okay then, let's go."


	17. Chapter 17

Jane could feel the reverberations from the music as they neared the front door. She placed her hand at the small of Maura's back as she pulled open the door and waited for Maura to step inside before her. Jane winced at the pulsating lights of the dance floor as she made her way into the club. The smoky air enveloping the DJ booth garnered an eye roll. She never could understand why anyone would frequent these types of establishments. The bright lights and loud sounds were counterintuitive to the rest and relaxation she could enjoy at a booth in The Dirty Robber. The beer would taste the same, so she really saw no need to subject her senses to the overstimulation.

Maura paused at the entrance and scanned the establishment, looking for an ideal spot for her and Jane. The detective noticed Maura scoping out a table close to the dance floor, so she grabbed the doctor by the arm and headed over towards the bar.

"Look, Maur. We can take these two seats at the bar." Jane smiled hopefully at the smaller woman. Maura furrowed her brow at Jane's choice of seating. She smiled tightly at Jane.

"What about that table over there?" Maura motioned to the one remaining table next to the dance floor.

Jane looked over Maura's shoulder at the table and saw a group of 3 ladies move in to the space. "Oh, snap." Jane feigned disappointment, "I guess that table is gone. This will just have to do."

Maura took a breath and shook her head at the detective. She looked up behind the bartender and noticed the small TV hanging above the row of illuminated liquor bottles. She looked over at Jane and put her hand on her hip. "Don't think you're just going to sit here and watch the game all night, Jane."

"I wouldn't think of it." Jane stated, although that was clearly her intent. She hadn't wanted to come here, anyway. She was just doing Maura a favor. Plus from this vantage point, she could watch the entire club. She had a clear view from the dance floor to the ladies room. She could keep an eye on Maura from here. That was more important than watching the game, but she wasn't going to let Maura know that.

Jane felt a large hand on her shoulder and heard the deep voice from behind her directed at her and Maura. "Excuse me ladies, we were wondering if we could buy you a drink?"

Jane turned around slowly and eyeballed the two men that had approached them. They were dressed in expensive suits and exuded money from the tips of their Italian leather shoes to the tops of their perfectly coifed hair. Either one would have been a perfect match for Maura based on outward appearances alone. Jane silently smiled internally wondering which one had drawn the short straw and had reluctantly agreed to take Jane as the door prize. Jane flashed her fake dimpled smile in their direction. "Thanks for the offer, gentlemen. But you're going to have to get in line. My friend here hasn't even had a chance to take her seat yet." She glared at the two men and waved them off with her hand. "The first round is on me. You can check back in later."

Jane turned back around to take her seat, but stopped in mid motion when she saw Maura standing there with her mouth gaping open. "What?" Jane asked tentatively.

Maura looked across the bar to the retreating men and back to Jane. "What was that?"

Jane shrugged her shoulders, "You came here with me. I just thought it would be nice if we had at least one drink together before the onslaught of men make their way over here. Jesus, I guess I thought they would at least let you take a seat before they started wading through the crowd to get to you."

Maura slid into her seat as gracefully as the tight dress would allow her. "They didn't hit on me, Jane. They came for both of us. You're forgetting that part."

Jane chuckled, "Yeah, well you're also forgetting about the 'Man Code'. The one in the grey jacket was totally jumping on me." Maura's eyes widened at Jane's words. Jane rolled her eyes at the doctor, "Oh, come on Maura! I'm the grenade…he was doing his buddy a favor."

Maura motioned for the bartender to place their drink order. "Jane, this is exactly what I talked about the other night. You push people away from you. You need to take some risks, take a chance on happiness." The doctor handed the bottle of beer over to Jane as she took a sip from her wine glass. She looked at Jane expectantly, waiting for some type of response.

Jane wrapped her hand around the full beer bottle and stared at the label. She could feel Maura's hazel eyes on her, waiting for her to add to the conversation. Jane took a long swig from the bottle before answering her, "Yeah, well…tonight isn't about me. It's about you. So don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

Maura drummed her fingers on the bar top slowly and leaned back into her chair as she studied the detective. She took a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak, but instead her eyes diverted to the dance floor and she let out an exasperated sigh.

The doctor took another healthy drink from her wine glass and pushed her chair back, delicately stepping off the stool and pulling down the tight dress where it had ridden up slightly. "I'm going to mingle. Will I see you out on the dance floor later?"

Jane tore her eyes away from the bottle to meet Maura's gaze. She tried to keep her voice calm as she addressed the doctor. "Not likely. Sore neck, remember?" she motioned to the area above her shoulder. "I'll hold down the fort. You have fun."

* * *

It didn't take long for Jane to form an understanding with the bartender. The beers kept coming before she took the last swallow of the current bottle. She needed something to keep her hands busy. Watching Maura flirt with the two men from earlier, then move onto the dance floor with one, and then the second made Jane want to punch things. People-type things, to be exact. She tried to focus on the game so she had somewhere else to look. Why was she so pissed? This was her idea, after all.

Jane found her eyes drifting away from the television and more and more to the medical examiner's swaying body on the dance floor. Every so often the doctor would catch the detective looking her way and she would wink or wave a finger in Jane's direction. The brunette's gaze bounced from the seductive gyrating hips to the doctor's arms that occasionally rose over her head, reminding Jane of their first kiss when she had Maura's wrist pinned up against the door. Jane shifted uncomfortably in her seat and crossed her legs, which only seemed to exasperate the ache that had started pulsating there.

A break in the music brought Maura back to the bar and she slid into her seat by Jane.

Jane painted a fake smile on her face and asked, "Having a good time, Maur?"

Maura motioned to the bartender for another Pinot before she answered Jane. "Yes, Richard is quite the dancer."

"Well, you know what they say about good dancers." Jane took another long draw on her beer bottle.

Maura smirked at Jane's comment. "His friend, Tom isn't half bad, either. He's been asking about you. You should come out on the dance floor with us."

Jane tried to desperately change the subject. "So, what does Richard do for a living?" Jane said as she returned her attention to the game on the screen.

"He's a lawyer. Recently divorced." Maura waited for the smart-assed comment from the detective.

"Oh, so he's flawed. Probably has some glaring personality disorder or something."

Maura chuckled, "No, I don't think so. He said he and his wife just grew apart."

"I was referring to him being a lawyer," Jane deadpanned, then seeing Maura's quirked eyebrow, she relented and smiled. "I'm sure he's a wonderful man."

"Yes, well maybe he is." Maura swirled the wine in her glass, staring as the liquid circled around. "Sometimes you just have to give people a chance, Jane." She looked deep into Jane's eyes before continuing, "Let them prove themselves worthy to you." She held Jane's gaze for a moment, with a sultry look in her eyes. "Everyone deserves at least one chance, don't they Jane?"

At this point, Jane was so mesmerized with Maura's eyes that she couldn't distinguish if she was talking about her, Richard, or the guy standing next to her that had been eavesdropping on their conversations all night. All she could do was absently nod her head at the doctor and take another swig from her near empty beer bottle.

Maura reached across the bar and gently put her hand on the detective's forearm. "Don't drink too much, detective," she winked at Jane before continuing, "Remember, you're supposed to make sure that I get home okay tonight." Maura tenderly rubbed Jane's forearm with her thumb before she drug her hand away and rose from her seat. Jane watched as Maura left, her hips swaying with a little more attitude than normal as she made her way through the crowd.

Jane sighed as she returned her gaze to the baseball game on the television screen.

"Umm…excuse me. Do you think your girlfriend would mind if I sat her for awhile?" The man had been standing next to Jane for the last 30 minutes craning his neck around a pole trying to watch the game on the TV behind the bar. He was dressed casually in jeans and a comfortable shirt, which seemed to indicate that he wasn't here to make an impression with the ladies. Jane immediately liked him. It took balls to come to a place like this and not give a damn what other people thought of you. "I'll leave as soon as she comes back, I just can't see the damn screen from over here."

Jane waved at the seat with her free hand. "Only if you're a Sox fan. I don't think she'll be back for awhile. Help yourself." Jane stopped as she was about to take another swig from the bottle, "Oh, and she's not my girlfriend. She's just my friend."

He had a genuine look of surprise on his face as he said, "Oh. Um…okay. I could have sworn you two were together."

Jane chuckled as she motioned to the bartender to give her another beer. "Yeah, well…that's not the first time someone has made that mistake." Jane thanked the bartender for her new bottle and paused for a moment before she took a drink, "What gave you that impression, anyway?"

The man tore his eyes away from the game and looked at Jane, "The way she keeps coming over here to flirt with you and the way you two keep looking at each other across the bar while she's dancing. She's been paying more attention to you than the guy she's been dancing with all night." He cringed and rubbed his brow and looked almost embarrassed to say the next thing that came out of his mouth, "I actually thought maybe this was some weird role-play thing where you two come here and she tries to make you jealous. I know it sounds creepy, and I'm sorry. It's just that…well, dammit…" he motioned to the small screen overhead, "I couldn't see the game, so you guys were the most entertaining thing in here to watch." He gave Jane an uneasy smile at his admission, hopeful that she didn't find him repulsive. He had an honest face, and Jane couldn't fault him for his observation. He would have made one a hell of a detective.

"Well, it's your lucky night. Normally, I'd bust you in the nose for a comment like that." Jane smiled and shook her head at the ridiculousness that had become of her life in the last 48 hours. "But I'm not feeling like myself tonight, so you're off the hook."

The sandy haired man smiled and extended his hand, "Whew…glad I avoided that. My name's Sam, by the way. Glad to meet you."

* * *

The next thirty minutes Jane found herself splitting her time between keeping an eye on Maura and discussing how the Red Sox had blown the entire 2012 season with subpar starting pitching with Sam. They learned that they both loathed dance clubs and had each only ended up here tonight at the prodding of a good friend. Jane told Sam about the ticket she had given up for tonight's game, and he said he couldn't decide if she was a great friend or completely nuts. Jane laughed as she admitted that she wasn't sure which category she actually fit into, either.

Maura continued to spend most of her night on the dance floor with Richard, but her eye stayed on Jane and the new friend she seemed to have made at the bar. She excused herself from the dance floor and made her way back over to the detective.

"Jane, come on." Maura tugged at the brunette's sleeve. "You need to come out onto the dance floor at least once."

Jane's shoulders slumped and she moaned at the other woman, "Aw, Maur. Don't make me; you know I don't like to do that."

Maura gave her a stern look. "It won't kill you, Jane. One song, that's it." Jane crossed her arms in a stand of defiance against the smaller woman's pleading. Maura reached out and tenderly rubbed up and down Jane's arm, "Please, Jane," she said with a slight frown and what could only be considered puppy-dog eyes.

Jane tried to stand her ground. She really did. But that look from Maura…dammit. She hated to disappoint the doctor.

"Gah…I swear Maura." Jane shook her head as she pushed herself up off the seat. "I'm just going to stand there and barely move. You do realize that, right."

Maura clapped her hands together, almost giddy that she got Jane to move away from the bar. "You just do whatever feels comfortable." She grabbed Jane's hand and wound their way through the crowd to the edge of the floor where Richard and his friend were waiting.

The dance floor was packed and before Jane could protest, Maura was flush up against her, swaying her hips to the music as she quickly introduced Jane to Richard and Tom. Jane nodded a hello. The music was too loud to actually carry on a conversation, which was just fine with Jane. She just wanted to get this over with and get back to her comfortable spot at the bar. She glanced over to her seat and saw Sam grin and raise his glass in a silent toast to her. Jane had to fight to keep the eye roll that begged to be released from happening and instead just gave a tight smile and nodded her head at him.

Maura turned around to face Richard, but she leaned back into Jane, causing her to brush her backside up against the front of Jane's body. She slowly ground her hips to the music and reached back to place her hand on Jane's hip. She turned her head to speak to Jane, and the detective leaned down over the doctor's shoulder so she could hear the smaller woman over all the loud pounding music.

"Come one Jane…loosen up a bit." Maura moved back even further and ground her ass into Jane's pelvis as she raised her arms into the air and waved them in time to the music. Bodies from the crowded dance floor behind the detective pushed Jane further ahead, melding their bodies even closer together. Jane had to place her hands on the doctor's waist to steady herself from the bodies bumping into her from all directions. Not that she was complaining. Between the doctor's ass gyrating along the inside of her thigh and the way her back brushed up against Jane's breasts when she moved up and down, the detective was having a hard time maintaining her composure. Her eyes kept fluttering shut as the doctor's silky thin dress continued to rub up and down her torso.

Jane watched as her hands slowly made their way down from the doctor's waist, and along the outside of doctor's hips, letting the smooth silky material of her dress slide under her fingers. She let her fingertips fall away as she heard the music change to a much slower song. The doctor turned around at the loss of contact to face the tall brunette.

"Umm...my song's done." Jane looked over Maura's shoulder to Richard, who was waiting for Maura to join him on the floor. She got the distinct feeling that he would rather have Maura focus on him, instead of her for the next song. It clearly wasn't a song that group's danced to, so Jane politely excused herself and made her way back to the bar. Maura shook her head as she watched Jane quietly head back to her seat.

Jane reached for her beer as she slid back into her chair. "God, I'm glad that's over," Jane said as she took a drink of the lukewarm beer. Jane scowled at Sam when she realized he had smile plastered on his face. He tried to keep his eyes on the game, but he couldn't wipe the smirk off his face. Jane narrowed her eyes at him, "What are you grinning at?"

He brought his hand up to cover his mouth, attempting to hide the smile. "I'm sorry," a chuckle escaped his lips. He looked over at the puzzled expression on Jane's face. "Oh, my god. You really have no idea, do you?"

"What are you talking about?" Jane put her hand on her hip, as she stared at him.

Sam took a drink of his beer and wiped his mouth before he swiveled around to face Jane directly. "She was all over you on the dance floor. That guy looked like a lost puppy. She was totally ignoring him." Sam chuckled. "I actually felt sorry for him."

Jane rubbed the bridge of her nose and sighed. There really was no way she could deny it any further. It was right there out in the open. Maura was attracted to her…and try as she might to not feel it…she was attracted to Maura.

But mere attraction didn't mean she needed to act upon it. She could continue to repress what she was feeling…go back to how things had always been between them. If she looked at this logically, there were so many ways that things could go horribly wrong between them if she let something happen. I wasn't worth the risk.

"Jesus…I am in so much trouble." Jane mumbled and shook her head as she leaned forward, her elbows on the bar. Sam leaned in and put his hand on Jane's back, affectionately patting her between the shoulders.

"Ah, come on. Things could be worse. You could be stuck sitting at a bar with a total stranger watching the Sox blow another lead." Jane raised her head and gave him a weak smile.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right." Jane grabbed her beer bottle and turned to Sam, "Help me drown my sorrows?"

* * *

Maura continued to keep her eyes on Jane across the bar _. Stubborn. God damn that woman is stubborn. Why the hell was she more interested in a baseball game and the ruggedly handsome man sitting in my chair?_ The anger starting to boil up in Maura's veins, making her aggravated with herself even more so than she was with Jane. She started dancing aggressively with Richard, needing to work off her pent up frustration with how the night was going so far.

Jane continued to keep her eye on Maura. She watched as the doctor leaned in to Richard, whispering something into his ear. The way Maura's hand was on his arm while she talked to him. The way he smiled at whatever she just told him. Jane's hands started twitching again. She rubbed at her palms, trying to calm herself down.

The next dance she watched as Maura leaned into Richard and she saw the way his hand ran up along the doctor's hip and past her waist to her rib cage. Jane could feel the heat rise in her face as her shoulders tensed up from the view on the dance floor. She grabbed a toothpick from the bar and started twirling it with her left hand. She needed something else to focus on…something to keep her hands and her mind busy. She jabbed the end of the toothpick into the top of the bar as she tore her eyes away from the view on the dance floor and back up to the television screen.

"You okay, there Jane? You look upset," Sam said as he leaned his elbows on the bar.

Jane snapped out of her trance and whipped her head around to look at him, "What? I'm fine. Why would you say that?"

Same shrugged his shoulders, "Without looking at the screen, tell me what the score is."

Jane tilted her head back and realized she hadn't been paying attention to the game for quite some time. The air was suddenly stiflingly hot and thick inside the club.

"Fuck it. You know what? I've got to get out of here." Jane rose from her chair and said good-bye to Sam. She grabbed Maura's clutch that she had left at the bar and pushed her way through the bar patrons to get to Maura. She pushed the purse into Maura's chest.

"I'm leaving. Have a good time." Jane turned around before Maura could utter a word of protest and strode towards the exit. She ignored the sound of Maura calling out her name from behind her. She needed space, and she needed fresh air. She needed it quickly.

Jane pushed through the heavy doors of the club and welcomed the crisp cool air of the night as it made its way into her lungs. She kept heading down the street, not sure exactly where she was going; only knowing that she needed distance from the inside of the club.

She could hear the quick clicks of Maura's heels on the concrete sidewalk behind her as the smaller woman made her way towards the detective, trying to catch her.

"Jane!" she heard Maura yell. "Please don't make me run in these shoes." The detective stopped and turned around to see Maura making an effort to run towards her in the ridiculously high black heels. "What on earth has gotten into you?" the doctor said breathlessly as she caught up to the brunette.

Jane took a breath of the cool air to calm her nerves. "I'm done. I can't stay in there anymore."

Maura lifted her palms and shrugged her shoulders, "Why not?"

Jane glared at Maura's lack of understanding. "His hands were all over you."

Maura took a step back at Jane's words. "Isn't that what tonight was all about? Isn't that what you wanted?"

"Yes…no. Not like that." Jane paused, knowing Maura would need a better reason that that. "He's not good enough for you, Maura." Jane knew it was a lame excuse, but it was all she could come up with at the moment.

"Tonight was supposed to be about you getting out to meet people…to…to find someone to spend your time with... to build a relationship with. Then you can do whatever the hell you want to with them." Jane took a breath and tried to calm down. Why the hell was she so worked up over this? It's not like men hitting on Maura was anything new.

Jane took a few steps away from Maura and turned her back towards her, her hand rubbing at her forehead in frustration…trying to get her mind to make sense…to make Maura understand. How could she do that when she didn't understand herself?

"What do _you_ want, Jane?"

The words were so simple, yet so complex. As Jane exhaled a shaky breath, her shoulders slumped slightly as some of the tension left her body. A sting of tears rushed to the back of her eyes. She pinched the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes tight, willing the tears to stay back _. I can't do this. I can't risk what we have together._

"Jane?" The word was spoken much softer this time.

Jane put a hand up, willing Maura to stop saying her name like that. "I can't…" she started, but stopped, knowing that she wouldn't be able to say anything further without the tears starting to fall. She looked up to the clear sky and focused on the stars as she tried to get her breathing under control.

"Jane, tell me what you want," Maura said in hushed whisper.

Jane dropped her head down and looked at the toothpick still clutched in between her fingers. She shook her head, knowing that what she was about to say was going to change her life forever. She took one last look at the toothpick before she tossed it to the ground. _Fuck it._

Jane spun around and faced the doctor. "I want a do-over."


	18. Chapter 18

The car ride back to Jane's apartment was silent. But this time it wasn't an uncomfortable silence. It was a charged silence. Want and need coursed through every vein in Maura's body, and while she was sure Jane was feeling the same way, she held onto the detective's hand, intertwining their fingers with her right hand just in case Jane changed her mind and decided to bolt out of the car at the next red light.

Maura quickly glanced to her side to look at the detective. Jane stared straight ahead, and even with this limited side view, Maura could see an intensity in the detective's eyes that she hadn't seen since Hoyt had attacked them. There was no fear in her eyes…only determination. And when Jane Rizzoli was determined to do something, by god she went at it full throttle. A flutter made its way up Maura's chest at the anticipation of getting Jane home. She pushed down on the accelerator a little more, increasing her speed. She needed Jane, and she needed her right now.

Jane stared straight ahead, focusing on the pinpoints of the street lights off in the distance. Every muscle in her body was flexed in anticipation of what would happen once they reached her apartment. Her mind and body were waging an internal war over what she was going to do in a few minutes. When all the things that could go wrong ran through her mind, all it took was once glance to her left to see their intertwined hands to calm her nerves. A further glance to the left gave her a view of the doctor's creamy thighs spread ever so slightly, the silky material of the black dress dipping down slightly between her parted legs where it lay mid-thigh as the doctor drove the Mercedes through the streets of Boston. Jane made a mental note to tell Maura to get rid of the Prius. She didn't care how eco-friendly it was. The doctor behind the wheel of the Mercedes was fucking hot.

The sound of metal scraping on metal as Jane inserted the key into her lock was amplified in Maura's ears as she heard the deadbolt slide back with a metallic thunk. Anticipation of what was waiting for her inside the apartment made her breathing difficult. She wasn't sure how she was going to remain standing once Jane's lips met hers.

Jane opened the door and ushered Maura in with her hand at the small of the doctor's back. The detective's hand covered Maura's as the doctor reached for the light switch by the door. Soft moonlight filtered through the apartment, giving Jane all the light she would need.

"No," Jane said as she shut the door and flipped the deadbolt back in place. She grabbed the doctor by the wrist and tugged her away from the light switch and pressed her back against the door. The detective leaned in towards Maura and put her right hand against the door by the doctor's head and gazed into heavy hazel eyes. Without breaking eye contact, her left hand found the chain on the door and she placed it in the slot and slid the lock into place. Maura's center clutched at the sound of the metal nub grinding along the slit.

"No lights," husked Jane.

Jo rose up from her spot next to the couch as she heard the door close with a thud. The little dog stretched her front legs, but reluctantly sat back down on her haunches as she saw her owner lean in to nuzzle the doctor's neck at the door. The small brown dog realized that she was going to have to wait. Jane was busy.

Jane's lips kissed the soft skin behind Maura's ear and made a slow excruciating trail down the doctor's neck, leaving sporadic kisses under her jaw and at the side of her throat. The medical examiner's eyes fluttered shut at the tender touch and a hum of appreciation rumbled though her throat. Maura's knees slightly buckled at the sensation of the detective's lips slowly caressing her. Jane smiled at the signs of the doctor's arousal and placed a tender kiss on Maura's collarbone before leaning slightly back, breaking contact.

"I don't know, Maur. Maybe I should slow down," Jane teased the doctor. "We haven't even been out on a real date."

Maura brought her hands up from Jane's shoulders and cupped her jaw and ears in each hand.

"Like hell you will." She captured Jane's lips in a bruising kiss. Breaking off the kiss, the doctor smirked, "We'll have plenty of time to go on real dates after this."

Jane grinned at the doctor's comment before leaning in for a slow languid kiss, savoring every touch as Maura's hands ran down along her neck and rubbed at her shoulders. She moaned into the doctor's mouth at the sensation that ran through her body.

"Does that feel good on your neck?" the doctor asked, still concerned with the soreness from a couple of days ago.

Jane smiled as she arched into Maura's body as the doctor's hands continued their caress. She wasn't able to hide the affect the smaller woman had on her, "Jesus, that feels good _everywhere_ ," she said with a deep chuckle.

Maura captured Jane's mouth in another deep kiss and ground her lips into Jane's as their tongues slid over one another in a slippery battle. The taste of beer and wine became one mixture as the kiss grew in intensity and then slowed down to a seductive dance with their tongues as Maura reluctantly broke it off and pulled away for a much needed breath of fresh air. The feral look in the set of dark chocolate eyes in front of her caused a gush of heat and wetness to pool between the doctor's legs.

"Jesus, Jane." It barely came out as a whisper, her mouth going dry at the site of the aroused detective in front of her.

Maura gently pushed Jane away from her with a hand squarely to the detective's chest giving her the space she needed to turn her back to the detective.

"Unzip me," she commanded with a slight jiggle of her shoulders, reminiscent of the move she gave Jane months ago in her office. Back then Jane stared at her like she was crazy. This time she saw no hesitation in Jane's eyes as the detective moved swiftly.

"I've been waiting for you to ask me that again."

Jane pressed her front against the doctor's back, grinding her hips into the doctor's ass lightly as she slid the zipper down and pulled the fabric apart to expose the delicate white skin beneath. She swiftly unhooked the strapless bra and whipped it out from under the material of the dress as she flung it off to the side. Her left hand roamed the newly exposed skin while her right hand snaked around to Maura's abdomen to hold the smaller woman in place. A soft kiss was placed on the back of the doctor's right shoulder as the brunette's hands continued to caress her back and move up her front to just below her breasts.

 _"Oh… yes, Jane,"_ the doctor husked at the new contact. She threw her head back and reached back to place her hand on the side of the detective's head as she nuzzled into Maura's neck, peppering more kisses there against the doctor's soft skin.

Jane's left hand dropped down to Maura's thigh and gently stroked up the inside of the doctor's leg, bringing the material of the dress up with it. Jane stopped short of where Maura needed her hand the most.

"Fuck, Jane," the doctor growled when her hand stopped its progression north. Jane ground her hips once more into the doctor's backside before she spun Maura around and pinned her back up against the door for the second time that night. The detective looked deep into the doctor's heavily hooded eyes, finding it too hard to deny the smaller woman's needs. She enveloped Maura's mouth with her own in a deep, lingering kiss. Maura matched the detective's intensity with her own lips and battling tongue. Jane broke the kiss first.

"Are you complaining?" Jane asked with a fake sense of concern.

The doctor took a couple of breaths, trying to gain her composure before she answered Jane.

"Not at all. I just want to be perfectly clear..." she stopped momentarily, unable to speak as Jane bent down to kiss and lick at the perspiration that had accumulated at the base of Maura's throat. She continued once Jane met her eyes again. "I don't give a damn who calls or who pounds on this door tonight..." She swiftly unbuckled Jane's black belt and yanked it until the belt broke free from her jeans, the crack of the leather strap heavily slapping the door behind Maura startled both women. Jane quirked a worried eyebrow at the site of Maura still holding the end of the leather belt, her chest heaving and a smoldering look in her eyes. The doctor looked at the belt in her right hand and smirked slightly at Jane before tossing it into a pile with her discarded bra. "You're not stopping until I come with you inside me tonight."

A jolt of want and desire pulsed down to Jane's core at Maura's words. She lunged back at the smaller woman capturing her lips in another fervent kiss. The doctor's hand wound its way around her neck and up into her hair, anchoring herself to the detective, allowing her to deepen the kiss more fully. Her other hand gripped at Jane's shoulder, giving her leverage to battle the other woman for control. But that was just for show...she was willing to surrender all control to the detective tonight.

Jane moved the now loosened material of the dress strap down Maura's arm, letting the fine silk pool just above her nipple. A tiny barrier was all that was left between her and the doctor. Jane paused as her eyes took in the swell of Maura's breasts and the slightly freckled skin of her chest. Maura saw a flicker of uncertainty waiver over Jane's features.

"Don't stop now, Jane. God…please don't stop." She reached for Jane's wrist and brought her hand up to her chest over her heart.

"I need you," the doctor whispered into Jane's ear. Jane's hand moved down the doctor's chest, her fingertips teasing with the edge of the fine material before pushing it down over the doctor's perfect breast. Her rough fingertips brushed against a rosy nipple before moving down to cup the entire breast in her hand. The slight touch caused the peak to harden and beg for more attention from Jane. The detective placed a languid kiss to the doctor's lips before she moved down to cover the protruding nipple with her mouth. Her other hand moved the rest of Maura's dress out of the way so she could gently circle the other breast with her thumb.

"Maybe we should stop before things go too far." Jane huffed in her last attempt to reign in her surging need to possess Maura.

Maura tossed her hair back over her shoulder and gripped Jane behind the neck, "I think we passed that point when your tongue circled my areola."

Jane looked up and narrowed her eyes at the doctor and slightly shook her head. "I swear to god I will shut this entire operation down if you use any more anatomically correct terms for the human body."

A slow, seductive grin broke out on Maura's face as she nodded in understanding, "Fine. Maybe I should just keep my mouth busy with other things to avoid any further delays."

Jane's head dropped to her shoulders and her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she thought about what Maura could do with her mouth and tongue. "Jesus, Maura," the detective groaned out as her own center throbbed at the doctor's words.

Jane resumed her attention to the doctor's breasts as she ran her fingertips over the hardened nipples. She covered one with her mouth, sucking in the engorged tip as she ran the flat of her tongue over its soft, rosy skin. She gave equal attention to the other pointed nipple with her mouth, scraping her teeth gently over the pert peak causing the doctor to moan out her name.

Maura wrapped both her hands into Jane's hair, anchoring her to her chest. "Fuck Jane...that feels so good." The doctor reached up her own dress and peeled the black thong down her legs and kicked it off to the side to land in the growing pile of discarded clothes. Maura hooked her right leg around Jane's left thigh, opening herself up for Jane. The detective took the hint and ran her left hand up from the back of Maura's knee to the swell of her tight backside. Jane moaned into Maura's breast as her hand slid over the doctor's ass. Jane's thumb momentarily circled the outside of Maura's thigh as she thought about the next logical move.

She moved back up to Maura's mouth and the doctor moved in for a deep kiss before Jane could utter a word. Maura broke the kiss and gazed into the hesitant soulful brown eyes she had been admiring for years.

"Maur...I…I've never done this before. I don't want to screw this up. I want this to be perfect." She searched Maura's eyes for guidance, but all she found was lust and want. Jane's hand slid reluctantly back down the doctor's leg, breaking contact with the doctor's skin. Maura's fingers tightened around Jane's shoulders as she shuddered at the momentary absence of contact.

Maura leaned into Jane's ear to whisper, catching the soothing scent of Jane's shampoo, "Mmm…this is perfect. Nothing can go wrong, Jane. Trust me."

"Whatever you want...babe," Jane lightly chuckled as she emphasized the last word. She had thrown out that term of endearment in front of Giovanni to get him out of the picture a year ago. She didn't think she had to worry about Giovanni or any other man getting to Maura for quite a while based on the way the doctor was melting under her touch at the moment.

Maura found it difficult to joke in light of the severity of the situation at hand. She removed her leg from Jane and stood up straight, realizing how ludicrous it was for her to be standing there with her dress pooled at her waist. She shook her hips and let the remaining material fall to the ground. She kicked it to the pile of clothes on the floor with her heel clad foot, not caring about the wrinkled mess it would be in the morning. Jane groaned at the site of a totally nude Dr. Isles standing before her in just her heels.

"Just remember that for later," Maura said with a smoldering look as she took a step back towards the detective, pressing her straining nipples into Jane's t-shirt. Maura leaned back slightly as she ran her hands down the front of detective's open leather jacket, her fingers running along the ribbed edges of the zipper. The sound of Maura's nails skimming along the metal edge of the zipper made Jane's knees buckle in anticipation of those nails scraping along her own bare skin.

Maura slipped her hands down to the front of Jane's jeans and deftly unbuttoned the top button. She slowly ran the zipper down to the bottom before leaning back to take a peek at what the detective was wearing. She could see white cotton panties riding low below Jane's navel.

A grin formed on the corner of the doctor's mouth as she saw that the detective's panties matched her white t-shirt. Maura slowly pulled the rest of the shirt out of Jane's jeans and ran her hands up the detective's torso, enjoying the dips and undulations of her rigid abdominal muscles. She blew out a deep breath at the sensation of her hands roaming over the brunette's olive tanned skin to just below her bra, taking the material of her shirt up with her movements.

"I see your underwear matches your shirt. I wonder if it matches your bra." Maura looked up expectantly at the taller woman, waiting for an answer. Jane didn't answer, but instead gave Maura a smug stare. Maura moved her hands up and over the bra, raking her fingers over the material covering the detective's breasts until a beige cotton bra was exposed. Maura's brow furrowed in confusion.

Jane grinned back at the doctor once her mismatched lingerie set been revealed. "Of course not. I didn't want you to think I was expecting anything tonight. A matching bra would have seemed like I was trying too hard."

Maura chuckled at the detective. "You thought of everything, didn't you?"

Jane's confident grin slowly slid from her face as she suddenly felt the alcohol drain from her veins. The intoxicating feeling from their intense foreplay came crashing to a halt as Jane realized how serious and final her next move would be.

"Clearly, I've stopped thinking," Jane said softly as her eyes fell to the floor. She felt the doctor's finger on her chin immediately, pulling her back up to meet the doctor's gaze. Maura didn't want to give Jane time to second guess anything that had happened already tonight.

Maura smiled at the brunette, knowing that tonight was a huge step for Jane.

"I'm glad you stopped thinking," Maura quirked her head to the side, "It's highly overrated."

Jane took a shaky breath and pulled her shoulders back. "You mean to tell me you haven't been thinking?"

Maura's gaze fell from Jane's eyes and landed on the hollow of the taller woman's neck. Her finger tenderly traced the detective's supple skin covering the prominent bones there. "I've been thinking a lot," she cleared her throat slightly before continuing. "But I can't decide if I want you to take me right here," she nodded to the door behind her, "or if we should move this to the bedroom."

Maura saw the earlier intensity return to the detective's gaze as she blew an errant lock of brunette curls from her face. Jane shrugged the jacket off her shoulders and held it out to her side before dropping it unceremoniously to the floor on top of Maura's dress.

She narrowed her eyes at the doctor, and licked her lips. "Oh, we're going to the bedroom."


	19. Chapter 19

Jane charged ahead of Maura on the way to the bedroom, but once her hand felt the cool metal of the door knob to her room, she cringed when she couldn't remember if she had made her bed. The doctor always had everything in order in her house, everything in its perfect place. Would she be appalled at the detective's sloppy room? Those thoughts quickly vanished as Maura caught up to Jane at the door and wound her hands around the detective's waist, leaning into her until Jane could feel the doctor's hard nipples pressing into her back through her thin shirt. On second thought, she figured Maura might not even notice if there were sheets on the bed. With newly restored confidence, Jane turned her wrist and opened the door.

Maura's hands didn't leave the detective's back as she followed Jane through the door and closed it behind her. She spun the brunette around and pressed her up against the door, unable to wait to get to the bed before tasting her lips once again. The doctor's hands made short order of the detective's shirt as she grabbed the hem and without any coaxing required, Jane raised her hands to let the shorter woman remove it completely.

The doctor took time to marvel at the newly exposed skin and grazed her fingertips along Jane's shoulders and down her arms. She leaned in and ran her lips down the detective's neck and lightly nipped at the muscles between her neck and shoulders.

"God, I can't get enough of you," she murmured into Jane's chest as she placed a kiss to her collarbone. The detective arched into the doctor's touch, her eyes fluttering closed at the feel of the doctor's gentle hands running tenderly along her sides.

Maura's hands trailed to Jane's back and slowly worked at the clasp of her bra. She raised her eyes to meet the detective's, making sure she didn't see any signs of regret. Instead, she found a set of dark encouraging eyes staring back at her. Jane's shoulders relaxed so the doctor could easily remove the straps one at a time. Jane's finger caught Maura's chin to keep her eyes from wandering down as the final barrier covering her chest was shed. A soft moan was shared between the two women as their breasts grazed each other for the first time as Maura leaned in to steal another kiss.

Jane looked about her room, frantically wishing she could make things more romantic with soft music and a candle, but those thoughts fell to the wayside as Maura busied herself by trailing her lips down the detective's chest until her lips encompassed Jane's left breast, her tongue teasing the nipple to attention.

"Aw…fuck, Maur," Jane groaned as her knees buckled slightly. She wrapped her hand in Maura's hair to help hold herself upright and to anchor her to the other woman.

Maura led Jane the remaining steps to the side of the bed and gently pushed the detective's shoulders down until she was seated. Jane leaned back slightly onto her elbows as she let her eyes rake down the site of the medical examiner's naked form basking in the moonlight. Maura placed her hands on the brunette's knees, gently forcing her legs apart. She sunk down to her knees in front of the detective.

The doctor worked the leg of Jane's jeans up slightly to allow her access to the detective's boot. She slowly ran the zipper down the side of the boot. The clicking sound as the zipper's teeth broke free sent a jolt of electricity down each vertebra in Jane's spine, causing the ache in her center to throb even more.

Jane made another mental note: Buy more clothes with zippers.

Maura continued until both boots and socks were discarded onto the newly formed pile of clothes on Jane's bedroom floor. She grabbed the other woman's hand and indicated with a nod of her head for the detective to stand so she could remove her jeans.

Jane reluctantly rose from the bed. The sight of the doctor's head between her legs removing her footwear was incredibly arousing, and it was hard to tear herself away from the position. Maura smiled up at the taller woman from her position on her knees as she ran a hand over the taut abdominal muscles before her. She placed a kiss below the detective's navel, just above the unbuttoned jeans. She drew in a deep breath, relishing the scent of Jane's arousal.

Jane closed her eyes and her head lolled back as Maura's lips touched her skin above her panties. The honey blonde's nails raked down the outside of her ass and down her legs as the doctor pushed the detective's jeans down to her ankles. Only the white cotton panties remained. Jane clenched her eyes tight in embarrassment at the realization that her underwear was incredibly soaked at the moment.

No man had ever made her this wet.

Only Maura.

Maura.

Jane snapped her eyes open, suddenly acutely aware that it was her best friend kneeling before her. And she was about the remove those incredibly soaked underwear.

That thought would normally have sent Jane into a tailspin of anxiety, but the second her eyes met the smiling hazel eyes of the doctor anchored below her at her waist, she felt the imminent fear melt away from the tension in her shoulders.

Only Maura.

Only Maura could make her feel this way. The way her thumb was gently caressing the outside of her hip through the thin cotton material, and the smile that permeated from her lips all the way through to her eyes floated a cloud of comfort over Jane's usual skeptical heart. There were no ulterior motives at play here. Jane wasn't some prize to be bragged about later to some bar buddies. Maura would never hurt her.

A silent nod of approval, barely perceptible, was given to the doctor. Maura ran her fingers along Jane's lower back, her fingertips gently bushed underneath the lace trim of the cotton undergarment before they raked once more down Jane's ass, taking the last obstacle away between them.

Maura rubbed her cheek along Jane's abs as her hands trailed back up Jane's calves and caressed the skin behind her knees.

"God, you smell so good," the doctor whispered into Jane's side as her lips placed a soft kiss to her hip.

The doctor's face being so close to her pulsating center only ratcheted up Jane's arousal even more. She sat back down on the bed and scooted up towards the headboard, lying back on her elbows as she watched Maura follow her up onto the bed. The doctor crawled on all fours, parting Jane's legs to make room for her between the detective's knees.

Jane bit her bottom lip as she watched the doctor pause as her eyes took in the glistening need between her legs. The honey blonde's silky hair grazed the sensitive skin on the inside of her knees as she made her way up the detective's torso. Jane let out a shaky breath as the doctor passed by her core. If the doctor so much as touched her down there right now she was afraid she would skyrocket into an immediate orgasm.

The doctor made her way to Jane's breasts and lovingly kissed one nipple before slowly running the back of her tongue around the stiff peak. Equal treatment was given to the other breast before Maura kissed a trail the rest of the way up to Jane's jaw before bringing her forehead to rest on Jane's. The sweet, salty smell of the detectives light coat of perspiration was more intoxicating that the Pinot had been earlier in the night. Maura could feel the detective's short curly hair tickling the skin below her navel as she held her body barely above the darker skinned woman.

"Jesus, Maura," the detective husked. "I want you so bad."

Maura grinned, her mouth sagging open to allow her to take in the shallow breaths she had been relegated to taking. "Don't you mean badly, detective?"

Jane squinted one eye at the doctor, "You've got to be freaking kidding me, right?"

The doctor placed a quick chaste kiss on the detective's lips.

"Don't worry. I tend to talk in fragmented sentences as I get closer to climax." Maura gave Jane a slight wink, knowing Jane was internally grumbling over her usage of the word 'climax'.

Jane was in no position to convincingly threaten to withhold anything from the doctor at the moment, though. Jane shook her head slightly at the doctor, but she was unable to stop the chuckle that made its way up from her belly to her lips.

"Damnit, Maura! Don't make me laugh," she narrowed her eyes slightly at the doctor, "It's not good to have things jiggle when I'm naked."

Maura looked down at Jane's chest and shook her head in disagreement.

"No. Sorry…I beg to differ with you. I find it incredibly sexy when you laugh while you're naked."

Maura lowered her body onto the detective's as she captured Jane's lips in a deep kiss. Nobody had any time for laughing now. Jane's hands found their way to Maura's back and quickly made their way down to her tight ass.

Maura continued to shower Jane's body in kisses and nips, floating from her lips to her earlobes and to numerous other places Jane never realized felt so good to be touched. Maura shifted her weight to the side to allow room for her right hand to blaze a tantalizingly slow trail down Jane's body to her aching center. Jane broke her lips away from the doctor's to watch as her hand snaked its way down her body in expert fashion. The doctor sure did seem to know what she was doing.

All thoughts on the matter immediately flew from Jane's mind as Maura's fingertips grazed the tops of her thighs.

"Holy fuck, Maura," Jane hissed. Her body rose up at the intimate contact.

Maura's eyes rolled into the back of her head as her fingers became slick with the first touch.

Jane's eyes clenched tight as her back arched up, the top of her head grinding into the pillow below.

"Oh, fuck…," Jane groaned.

"Don't…" she winced.

"Stop…"


	20. Chapter 20

Pleasure and pain. What a strange mixture. She'd heard the expression before, but never had she experienced it. Not until tonight.

She'd experienced enough pain in her life to laugh at that expression _. Idiots._ Who in their right mind would put up with excruciating pain just for a little pleasure? She'd scoffed at them in the past.

Not now. Chalk her change of heart up to one incredibly adept Dr. Isles.

The pain shooting down her neck was so intense that a tear escaped the corner of her eye and tracked its way down across her cheek before it settled in her ear. Her fingers were clutching fistfuls of sheets, and were unable to release their hold to flick the annoying drop away. Moving her head to the side to let it trickle out wasn't an option. She knew it was highly unlikely, but it felt like any minor movement at the moment might result in permanent paralysis.

_Fucking neck!_

You would think the amount of alcohol she consumed tonight would have served to either relax the muscles in her neck, or at the very least help to deaden the pain. No such luck.

Everyone has a pain threshold, and Jane had unfortunately just reached hers.

"Neck, Maura." Jane said through gritted teeth. Her eyes were apologetic, not wanting the night to end while she was so close…while they were so close.

The seductive glint in Maura's eyes instantly changed to one of concern. "Oh…I've got you, Jane," she said as she cradled her left hand around the detective's neck, stabilizing her position as she gingerly crawled off the detective.

"Let me get some ice." Maura grabbed Jane's flannel robe off the back of her door as she made her way into the kitchen.

And just like that it was over.

Jane squeezed her eyes shut and grabbed the sheet that had been pulled loose in the furious activity next to her. She covered herself up as best as she could before the doctor made her way back into the bedroom.

 _It's probably for the best,_ Jane tried to rationalize. _This got way out of hand in a hurry._

 _Fuck_.

She closed her eyes and willed herself to fall asleep as quickly as possible.

* * *

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted its way through the small apartment. Jane had been lying in bed for 10 minutes trying to get up the nerve to face Maura. All of last night's confidence had dissipated with the alcohol during her slumber. Gone. Vamoose. It was replaced by insecurity and uncertainty…none of which were her best qualities. She could push those down and hide them behind her badge at work, but here in her tiny apartment they were on full display with glaring, pulsating lights highlighting their existence.

She sat up and stretched as much as she could, but winced at the sharp pain in her neck.

"Dammit," she mumbled under her breath as she rubbed at the side of her sore neck. Turning her head was going to be a problem today. Resigned to the fact that she couldn't hide out in her room all day, she hoisted herself reluctantly off of the bed.

She looked down at the tank top and shorts she was wearing. Maura must have helped her get dressed. She didn't remember much after the ice pack was pressed into her neck last night.

The allure of the coffee in the kitchen finally brought the detective out of her bedroom. She tentatively walked the few steps out to the kitchen. Maura was sitting comfortably at her kitchen table, legs casually crossed; wearing one of Jane's old t-shirts and a pair of faded boxers. She leafed through the day-old newspaper nonchalantly. Her eyes appeared focused on the page.

She looked content.

She looked normal.

So why was Jane's stomach doing back flips? Why did she feel so completely and utterly uncomfortable in her own apartment?

 _Please don't let this be awkward. Please don't let this be awkward._ The mantra repeated itself over and over in Jane's head.

She could do this.

She could feel normal.

She could be normal.

She shuffled a little closer to the coffee pot, and noticed that Maura already had a clean mug down for her. Sugar bowl with spoon at the ready. _She knew I would need this as soon as possible_. A small smile spread across Jane's lips at the thought. _She knows me so well._

Gulp.

 _She knows me a lot better this morning after what happened last night!_ The smile melted away as her heartbeat resumed its earlier erratic behavior.

Jane shook her head and tried to clear the memory of last night out of her mind and focus on the present _._

_Be cool, Jane._

"You're awfully quiet this morning," Maura said as she flipped the page of the paper.

Jane fumbled with the spoon at the doctor's voice. "Shit," she mumbled.

"Are you okay over there?" The doctor turned in her chair to look into the kitchen.

"What? Me?" Jane stuck the spoon in her coffee and stirred a little more vigorously than necessary. "I'm good. Why wouldn't I be good?" The words were coming out too fast, and about an octave too high, especially for this early in the morning _._ She turned to look at Maura across the kitchen and attempted to maintain eye contact to prove how normal everything was. A small, pathetic nervous laugh escaped her lips. _Dammit._

 _Relax, Jane_.

She didn't trust herself to hold a scalding cup of coffee, so she set it down carefully on the counter to cool. Without realizing it, her fingers started rubbing at the scars on her palms.

Maura took in the sight of the frazzled brunette before she glanced down to Jane's fidgeting hands, and her eyebrow quirked.

Jane immediately dropped her hands to her sides and rubbed her sweaty palms on the outside of her thighs. _Take deep breaths. Relax._

The doctor watched as Jane turned to focus her attention back on to her coffee cup. She noted how Jane had to move her entire body, her neck too stiff to move on its own.

"How's your neck?" Maura asked. Jane turned around to look at her again.

"My neck? Oh, it's fine. Never better." Jane faked normalcy as she smiled and reached for her cup.

Maura chuckled at her as she curled both of her hands around her large mug. "Hmph," the doctor pondered for a moment. "Does that mean you faked a sex injury last night?"

Droplets of coffee splashed from Jane's cup as it landed hard on to the surface of the countertop. "What?" Jane's eyes widened at the doctor's words. "What are you talking about?"

Maura held her mug up, ready to take another sip. She shrugged, "Last night. Did you forget?" She couldn't help the slight smile that made it to one corner of her mouth. "I know you had a lot to drink last night, but I'm fairly confident you do remember what happened."

Jane winced and rubbed her hand across the bridge of her nose. "Yes…yes, I remember," Jane grumbled as her shoulders slumped a little in defeat as she settled into the chair across from Maura. _So much for everything being normal._

"You're going to make me talk about this, aren't you?" Jane chewed on the inside of her lip and played with the edge of the newspaper with her finger and thumb, not out of interest, but more to give her eyes something to look at instead of at the doctor sitting directly across the table.

Maura leaned back into her chair and put her mug down on the table. "Don't you think we should?"

Jane looked up at her, hopeful that she could wiggle her way out of the conversation. "Nah, I'm good."

Maura cocked her head down and stared at the other woman. "Really? You have nothing to say about last night?"

Unable to sit still any longer, Jane rose up out of the chair to pace in the small space by her table.

"I mean…nothing 'technically' happened, so what's the big deal, right?" Jane rambled as she tried to legitimatize the previous evening's activities. Maura scoffed at her use of the air quotes.

"If you think just because there was no-"

Jane's arm stretched out and an accusatory finger pointed at the doctor, "Don't you dare say it…"

"…no penetration…," Maura barreled ahead of Jane's failed attempt to quiet her, “You can't pretend like last night didn't happen, Jane."

Jane slumped back down into her chair and buried her face in her hands _. Oh my god…this is not happening._

"Please Maura…stop talking!" Jane pleaded with the smaller woman.

Maura put a hand on her hip and shook her head at the detective. "My god, it is painful talking about sex with you."

"Just…no…we're not having this conversation right now," Jane nervously glanced around the kitchen. "I need more coffee." _And a fifth of Jack Daniels._

Maura rolled her eyes at the frustrated brunette. "No wonder you struggle with dating men." Maura shook her head, "But I'm not giving up on you that quickly. I know all of your diversion tactics, detective."

Jane looked up at Maura with pleading eyes, "I'm sorry, Maura. This is just weird. How can you just sit there and act like everything is normal?"

"Because it is, Jane." The doctor waited for the brunette's eyes to meet hers. "Everything is normal. You're the one making it weird. Just relax."

Jane's face crumpled and she let out a little whine, "You've had more time to think about this. My head is still fuzzy."

"Okay. I'll give you a little time." Maura smiled as she pushed her chair away from the table. She reached for her wrinkled dress which was now lying over the couch in the living room and headed for Jane's bedroom.

"You need an x-ray," she called out from the room as she stripped off her borrowed clothes and slipped back into her short black dress. She walked back out to the kitchen and attempted to brush away some of the numerous wrinkles in the fine material, "I want to make sure you don't have a bulging disk. I'm going to go home to shower first, though."

Jane couldn't help but grin at the doctor in the rumpled dress, "That dress looked so much better last night."

"As ridiculous as this looks," Maura said waving her hand down at her body, "I would look even more ridiculous wearing your t-shirt and shorts with these heels," the doctor said as she leaned one hand on the edge of the couch and slipped her shoes onto her delicate white feet.

Maura made her way around the chair behind Jane and wrapped one arm across the detective's chest, her hand brushing the skin above the neckline of the detective's tank top. She gave a brief squeeze as she bent down and placed a chaste kiss on the top of Jane's head. "I'll be back in two hours to get you. You're going for that x-ray whether you like it or not. We can talk later. Please shower and put on clean clothes."

Maura made her way to the front door and paused with one foot out in the hallway. She leaned back in and winked at Jane, "Wear something sexy."

"I hope you're enjoying yourself," the detective called out to the retreating doctor as she left. Jane closed her eyes and shook her head slowly as she heard the door snap closed. The confident clicks of the doctor's steps on the thinly carpeted floor were noticeable, even through the closed door.

* * *

Maura pulled the car into her driveway and walked the few steps down the drive to retrieve the day's newspaper. Morning dew covered the outside of the roll, the ink bleeding through on the first few pages of the thin paper material, rendering it useless. Not that it mattered. The big news of the day wasn't on the front page of the Boston Herald. Memories from last night flooded her head. She smiled as she looked up into the mid-morning sun, the warmth from the rays permeating her skin, flushing her cheeks like they had during the passion filled moments she shared with Jane last night.

She lost herself in the pure bliss of her remembrance. _I spent the night with Jane Rizzoli. My hands, my mouth, my tongue caressed every…._

"Good morning!" Angela Rizzoli shouted as she rounded the corner of Maura's hedge. Pruners precariously dangled from one hand while she wiped at her brow with the back of her other glove covered hand. Angela stopped in her tracks at the site of the doctor in her drive.

"Oh, my…Doctor Isles," the elder Rizzoli stifled a chuckle, "We used to call that the walk of shame back in my day. Is that what they still call it?" She motioned to the doctor's wrinkled dress and messy hair with her gloved hand.

Maura's mouth opened, but no words came out as she looked at the older woman. "Angela…I…," she breathed out nervously once she found her voice. "It's not what it looks like." She took a couple of steps towards the hedge, realizing that she should probably get into her house as soon as possible before any of her neighbors saw her standing out in her front yard dressed like that.

"I was with Jane last night…," Maura paused for an instant, realizing what that sounded like. "I mean…her neck was bothering her." Maura nodded, mostly for herself, making sure what she said sounded plausible. She subconsciously rubbed at her throat, feeling the blush rise up from her chest. "I'm going to take her in for an x-ray…just to make sure it isn't anything serious."

Angela Rizzoli couldn't help but notice the small red patches that suddenly appeared on the younger woman's neck. She cocked her head to the side and regarded the doctor for a moment. "Well, it's a good thing you were there for her, then." Angela smiled knowingly at the doctor. "I can't believe you talked her into going for an x-ray. You have more control over her than I ever had."

Maura smiled demurely at the compliment. "I try."

Angela nodded, "Well…back to this hedge. It's not going to prune itself." She waved good-bye as she rounded the corner of the house.

Maura slipped her key into the lock with shaky fingers and opened the front door. Jane would never forgive her if she let last night's activities be known to her mother. Jane clearly needed more time to process this change in their relationship. She certainly didn't need to muddy the waters any further at the moment.

_Dodged that bullet…thank god._

* * *

Maura glanced over at Jane sitting at an odd angle in the waiting room chair. Unable to look straight down to fill out the medical forms, she held the clipboard up to eye level and tried to write.

"Oh, give me that," the doctor said as she grabbed the clipboard from Jane's hands. "I'll fill it out for you. You can sign it when I'm done."

Jane sighed as she let her head fall back to the wall behind her chair.

"Okay…let's see," the doctor mumbled aloud as she perused the form, "You have the family history done. Next item…what caused the injury?"

Maura squinted her eyes and appeared to be mulling over the injury. She put the pen on the paper, ready to write.

"Was it when my hand ran down your chest, or when my fingers grazed your inner thigh?"

Jane shot up straight in her chair and glanced around the room to make sure no one had heard the doctor. "Maura!" she hissed through clenched teeth. Maura chuckled at the detective's reaction.

"I'm kidding, Jane! Relax. You're so uptight."

Jane settled back down into her chair and clutched at her chest. "I'm going to need to have my heart checked out too if you don't stop with this new sense of humor you've seemed to have recently acquired."

Maura smiled at the distraught woman. "You always cope with sarcasm and humor, so I thought I'd give it a shot. It's definitely working for me. I'm rather enjoying it." She flashed a toothy smile at Jane.

"Well, I'm glad it's working for one of us."

The nurse called Jane's name and they both rose to head to the examination area.

"I almost forgot to tell you. I got a text from your mother a little while ago. She insists on cooking dinner for us at my house tonight. Frankie is coming over, as well."

Jane paused in her stride for a moment. "Oh. My. God."

"I know." Maura grabbed Jane by the elbow and continued walking. "It should be fun."


	21. Chapter 21

Each passing moment brought small, incremental improvements in her ability to move. It was like a tiny weight was lifted off of her chest as each breath left her lungs, reducing the tension she was feeling in her whole body. She kept her eyelids closed tight and worked on stretching her neck side to side as she regained some of her range of motion. The muscle relaxers and pain killers administered at the clinic were finally starting to work.

Maura drove Jane back to her house so she could keep an eye on the heavily drugged woman. The doctor tugged her arm and dragged her into the bedroom to lie down for just a moment while she fed Bass. Next thing she knew, Jane was out like a light.

* * *

Bliss. Pure bliss. She felt like she was floating on a soft layer of billowy cotton balls. Every nook and cranny of her body was supported by the plush softness of Maura's extremely well constructed mattress and the finest bedding materials available. On a normal day, Jane would have some sarcastic comment about the price the doctor paid for exquisite items like these. But today, as Jane awoke from the unplanned nap on Maura's bed, she secretly thanked the doctor for splurging on those items. She could get used to a bed like this.

Maura stood in the doorway and watched as Jane started to stir from her slumber. They hadn't really had time to talk about last night yet. Jane was in so much pain while they waited around for the x-ray that she knew she wasn't going to feel like talking. The detective's physical discomfort at the moment was more important to get under control before Maura tackled the emotional discomfort.

"How are you feeling?" Maura asked as she quietly made her way into the room.

Jane's eyes fluttered open and squinted at the sudden intrusion of soft daylight entering through the blinds. "Better...it's starting to work." She tried to focus on the hands of her watch, but couldn't quite make out the time. Her eyes were still a little fuzzy. "What time is it?"

"Almost 4:30. You had quite the little rest." Maura sat down on the bed next to Jane and rubbed the other woman's forearm slightly, encouraging her to wake up. "Sit up…you need to take some more pills."

Jane let the doctor help pull her up to a seated position and swallowed the pills without question when Maura placed them in her hand. The sudden movement made her a little light-headed.

"Whoa…what are in those pills? I feel a little strange," Jane said as she put her hands on either side of herself to steady her movements. "A good kind of strange, actually."

Maura let out a soft chuckle. "Those are some pretty strong pain killers. They might make you a little loopy. That's one reason I brought you back to my place. I didn't want to leave you alone."

Jane grinned and leaned into Maura a little closer, bumping their shoulders together. "What's the other reason?" She waggled her eyebrows at the doctor.

Maura couldn't help the grin that spread across her face. Jane was obviously a light-weight when it came to the pills she was taking. "In case you don't remember, the other reason was that the exam showed that the muscle spasms were off the chart. We need to work on that."

Jane squinted at the doctor, "And how are _WE_ going to do that?"

"Well, I was going to suggest that you let me work on those muscles in your neck."

Jane stared at the doctor for a moment before responding. "I think you just want to get me out of my shirt again."

"Jane, I'm a doctor. I'm merely suggesting a standard treatment protocol."

The detective playfully narrowed her eyes at the medical examiner before she grabbed the bottom of her shirt and yanked it up over her head and tossed it on to the floor. She laid down face first and snuggled into Maura's thick comforter. "Go ahead and give me those so-called 'hands of pleasure'," she chuckled at the memory of the first neck rub, "I know how much you like to take my bra off, so I'll let you do that part...if you think it's medically necessary, of course."

A stunned Maura looked down at the half naked detective sprawled out on her bed. "Oh..kaay," the normally confident doctor stuttered. Jane's actions had left the doctor slightly off kilter. She reached for the back clasp of Jane's bra and fumbled with it a bit before she got it loose.

"Are you nervous, Dr. Isles?" Jane said in a slightly patronizing tone. "You were much better at this last night."

Maura cleared her throat and shook her head. "No, I'm fine," she could feel the blush rise up her chest. She reached for the bottle of lotion on the nightstand and worked it into her hands. She continued to work the lotion until she was sure her hands had stopped trembling.

She started with slow circular motions on Jane's shoulder blades and worked her way up to her neck, rubbing her fingers along the tendons and muscles located there.

"Oh, god…that feels sooo good," Jane groaned as she relaxed into Maura's touch. "Jesus…right there."

Maura's mouth watered slightly as she listened to the sounds coming out of Jane's mouth.

"You can push harder, if you want. You know, it would probably be easier on you if you just straddled me. You're not wearing a skirt today, so it shouldn't be a problem."

Maura glanced down at the black leggings and knee high boots she was wearing. "Sure, I suppose I could take these boots off and do that." She reached down to unzip one of the black leather boots.

Jane's hand flew out and landed on her boot covered leg to stop the smaller woman. "Don't. Leave them on…they're incredibly sexy."

Again, Maura was taken aback by the forward comment from the detective. She couldn't decide if she should be worried about the drug's effects on Jane, or fly down to Mexico to get her a lifetime supply of the narcotic.

"Okay…I'll leave them on," the doctor said as she carefully crawled up onto the bed and settled down on top of the slender detective. She went back to the neck massage and tried to focus on the muscles along the side of Jane's neck.

The detective let out a breathy sigh as the doctor's hands trailed down from behind her ear to her shoulder. "I love it when you touch me there," Jane growled out in her deep husky voice.

Maura's breath hitched at her unexpected words and her hands stilled for a moment before continuing on with her massage. Maura gulped in a much needed breath of air.

"I loved it when you ran your lips down my neck last night, too." Jane reached back and trailed tiny circles on one of Maura's knees. Maura shifted uncomfortably on the detective, and willed her heart to stop racing in her chest.

"Jane…please stop. I don't want you to do or say anything else you'll regret tomorrow."

Jane pushed herself up onto her elbows as best as she could, the doctor's hands stilling at her sudden movement.

"Maura…I know we haven't really talked about last night, but I want you to know that I don't regret it." Maura could tell that even in Jane's slightly euphoric drug-induced state, she was weighing her words carefully, knowing the impact of them. The detective took in a breath before continuing, "I know you like to talk and analyze your personal relationships to no end, and lord knows that I can spend hours over thinking a case until I'm blue in the face…," Jane slumped back down onto the bed, "…but when it comes to me talking about us…I just…I can't right now." She paused for a moment. "I just want to be us, you know? I don't want to worry about everything else that comes with it. My family…our jobs…everyone else out there for Christ's sake. That's too much for me. I just want to be with you…by myself."

Jane rolled as best as she could to her side with the doctor on top of her so she could look back up at Maura. "I hope you'll have patience with me once these drugs are out of my system. I know I can be an asshole. But please know that I don't regret last night or…," she winked at the doctor before her eyes trailed down to Maura's ample cleavage, "…anything that might happen right now."

Jane tenderly grabbed Maura's wrist and placed the doctor's hand on the ridges of her bare stomach. She gently moved the doctor's hand up towards the swell of her own breast as she locked her eyes with the honey-blonde.

"By the way…I really liked it when you touched me here.”

Maura leaned down to close the remaining distance between their lips. She knew that it was probably wrong to take advantage of Jane in this state, but the fire raging through her veins at the moment needed to be quenched. Just as her lips were an inch from pressing into Jane's, she heard a familiar knock at the back door. Angela was here.

The doctor closed her eyes and pressed their foreheads together.

"Well…dinner should be real fun with your family tonight," the doctor said as she grimaced.

Maura extracted herself from the bed and reached into her closet for a scarf to wrap around her neck. Keeping this a secret from Jane's family was most likely going to result in a few hives during dinner.

"Put your shirt on, Jane. We've got a lasagna to power through."


	22. Chapter 22

Maura paused for a moment to gather herself in the hallway, adjusting the scarf and tucking her hair behind her ears. With a shaky breath, she strode as confidently as possible towards her own kitchen. She lingered in the doorway before making her presence known to Jane's mother.

The smell of basil and oregano filled the kitchen as Angela busied herself at the large gourmet island. She carefully unloaded her casserole dish, a head of Romaine lettuce and a small assortment of various food containers. Frankie pushed through the back door, balancing a pan full of garlic bread between his hands.

"Hello, Angela…Frankie," the doctor said with a smile she hoped looked natural. "Can I help you with anything?"

Angela busied herself with preheating Maura's oven, making herself comfortable in the doctor's kitchen. "Oh, no…I've got this." Angela pointed to the doctor's wine rack, "I'm assuming that you'd like a red to go with the lasagna? I can only imagine what you had to deal with today taking Jane to the doctor. I'm sure you could use a drink."

Frankie chuckled, "Ma, you're assuming she hasn't already downed an entire bottle after that excursion."

Maura smiled lightly at them both, "Actually, she didn't even fight me. It really wasn't that bad."

Angela looked shocked, "Really? That's surprising." The elder Rizzoli peeked around Maura to the living room and noticed that is was empty. "By the way…where is Jane."

"Oh, she's in the bedroom…I mean my bedroom…" Maura subconsciously clawed at her neck as she focused intently on the row of wine bottles. She took a deep breath to calm her raging nerves. "I mean she laid down for awhile after we got back from picking up her prescriptions. She just woke up a few minutes ago. She'll be out shortly."

Angela glanced up at the doctor as she unwrapped a chunk of Parmesan cheese. The doctor seemed nervous. And flustered. She watched as the younger woman selected an Italian red wine and slowly worked at the cork, taking more time to complete the task than necessary. Angela's lip curled up in a slight grin. Maura Isles, ever the perfect hostess, was avoiding eye contact and conversation with her. And she was failing terribly at concealing it.

Angela pursed her lips together to stifle the words that begged to pour out of her mouth. It was taking a monumental effort in self control to reign in her burning desire to meddle in her adult daughter's life. As much as she wanted to know what was going on, she felt bad for how uncomfortable the doctor looked at the moment. She bit her lip and decided to attempt to put the doctor at ease, instead.

"So, Maura…how is Jane's neck feeling now?" Angela felt that was a safe question.

Maura broke her gaze from the wine bottle and looked up, meeting Angela's warm smile. "Much better." Maura filled two glasses and handed one to the older woman. "Actually, she's on some pretty strong narcotics to control the pain and the spasms. She's experiencing quite the euphoric effect from the drugs." Maura took a healthy sip of the dark liquid.

"Are you sure that's from the drugs, or is it just the company I've been keeping lately?" Jane said as she strode into the kitchen with a huge grin plastered on her face. Maura winced at Jane's words and tried to cover it up with a tight smile.

"Jane, could you help me with the salad bowl?" Maura's words rushed out quickly as she tried to divert the conversation back to a safe topic.

Angela stifled a grin and busied herself with setting the table as Maura reached up into the cabinets to retrieve the salad bowl. She stretched up on her tippy toes trying to reach the upper shelf, but before she could reach it, she felt the detective's body press against her back.

"Let me get that for you." She draped her body over the smaller woman's frame as she reached up for the wooden bowl. Jane paused as she brought the bowl back down to the countertop. She stopped briefly and breathed in the flowery fragrance of the doctor's golden hair.

"Hmm," she hummed into Maura's locks, "Have I ever told you how good your shampoo smells?" She let her fingers caress the bottom curls of the hair that flowed down the doctor's back. "And your hair…it's so soft," she whispered into her ear. Maura quickly spun away from the brunette and moved towards the salad ingredients laid out on the counter. She busied herself with chopping the lettuce as her mind raced with ways to keep Jane from doing or saying something she would definitely regret later.

"Need some help, Maur?" Jane sidled up to the doctor at the counter, placing her hand on the small of her back as she looked over the assembly line of cherry tomatoes, crumbled feta and croutons. The detective's fingers tenderly trailed small circles on Maura's back, inching lower with every revolution. Soon her fingers were scraping at the top of the doctor's ass. Maura took in a sharp breath of air as the sensation caused a flutter up her chest. She caught Angela's raised eyebrow out of the corner of her eye.

"Jane, I think I've got this. Why don't you join Frankie on the couch while we wait for the garlic bread?" Maura grabbed Jane's wrist and pushed her towards the living room.

"Hey Frankie…you want a beer?" Jane asked as she paused in front of the refrigerator.

"Yeah, what ya got?" Frankie asked as he joined Jane in front of the appliance to peruse the doctor's selection of brews.

Maura reached between the siblings and handed Jane a water bottle. "None for you," she shook a stern finger in Jane's direction, "You shouldn't mix alcohol with the narcotics you're taking." Jane's lip turned up in a disappointed snarl and her shoulders slumped at the doctor's order. She stomped off towards the living room and plopped down at the end of the couch.

Frankie grabbed a beer and followed Jane to the living room. He glanced back towards the kitchen to make sure both Angela and Maura were busy. He grinned at Jane and pulled an extra beer out from under his shirt and handed it to his sister as he settled into the chair across from her.

Jane's face instantly brightened as she took the beer from Frankie. "You always were my favorite brother." She took a long pull of the amber liquid and closed her eyes as the cold droplets made their way down her throat.

"So, I didn't see you or Maura at the Robber last night. What happened to you two?" Frankie asked nonchalantly as he wiped a dribble of the ale from his chin.

Jane shook her head slightly at the memory. "We went to that new club downtown. The one Maura's been trying to get me to go to for weeks. I finally caved and went." Another large gulp of beer went down smoothly. _Damn this tastes good tonight._

Frankie chuckled at the thought of his sister at a dance club. "How did that go?"

Jane twirled the bottle around with her wrist. "Not good. The men were all over Maura."

"What did you do? You didn't break anyone's nose, did you?" he teased.

She leaned in closer to him so the other women couldn't hear their conversation, "No, I did something better. I took Maura home with me."

Frankie choked slightly on his beer. He couldn't help the smile that grew on his face at this juicy tidbit. "You did what?"

Jane matched Frankie's Rizzoli grin with one of her own. Confident and cocky, the grin spread to her sparkling, slightly devious eyes. "You'd probably like me to tell you how we left a trail of clothes from the front door to the bedroom, wouldn't you?" She walked her fingers along the arm of the couch as she watched her brother's eyes follow her hand. "Or about how my hands and lips were all over the doctor's body?"

Frankie's eyes darted to meet his sister's eyes as she leaned back into her chair, pleased that she had piqued her brother's interest. She was sure she had left him speechless, but before he could utter a word, she broke the silence.

"Well, I'm not going to tell you that." She took another swig of the bottle and placed it unceremoniously down on the end table with a loud thunk. "What I did on Saturday night is nobody's fucking business but my own." Frankie shook his head at his sister. _What the hell?_

"Jane!" Maura snatched the nearly empty bottle from the table as she came up to the side of the couch. "Didn't I tell you not to drink this?" Maura's scolding tone made the detective cringe. She pointed a finger at her brother.

"Frankie made me do it." Jane put her hand on the back of the doctor's leg, trying to calm her down and convey her apology. Her brother just shrugged his shoulders, accepting the blame without question. Maura narrowed her eyes at both Rizzoli siblings, not sure which one she was angrier with at the moment. Jane's hand moved up her leg slowly, her fingers scraping tantalizingly close to the curve of her ass. The doctor momentarily forgot what she was so angry about.

"Um…dinner's ready." Angela called from the kitchen.

* * *

Maura took charge during dinner and doled out the helpings to everyone at the table. She was stingy with serving sizes, but that was out of necessity. She had never wanted dinner over as quickly as she did tonight. Anything she could do to speed up the process, she was going to do. If everyone left hungry, so be it.

Normal seating during Rizzoli family dinners at the doctor's house always put Maura next to Jane on the same side of the table. This worked out for the best tonight since Maura could squeeze Jane's hand under the table to quiet her if the doctor was afraid she was entering dangerous territory with the normal dinner table conversation. The only distraction was when Jane's hand occasionally settled on the doctor's thigh under the table. This was the second time tonight she was thankful she wasn't wearing a skirt.

Maura attempted to be as normal and relaxed as possible, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain as Jane's hand kept rubbing her upper leg.

Angela noticed the doctor scratching her neck and the flushed appearance on her face. She was fidgety, and that was not like the doctor. The elder Rizzoli pushed her lips tightly together in an attempt to keep the grin that was dying to be let loose at bay. She cleared her throat.

"Maura, honey? Why don't you go ahead and take Jane home. I'm sure Jo needs to be let out by now, anyway. Frankie and I will take care of the kitchen."

"Oh…that's very sweet of you Angela." Maura looked relieved to have an excuse to leave her own home. "Jane should go to bed early tonight, anyway. She didn't get much sleep last night." Angela Rizzoli quirked an eyebrow at the younger woman's statement.

"I mean it was late…," Maura nervously rubbed at her throat, "…I mean the drugs…the drugs will make her sleepy." Maura swallowed a gulp of air as Angela smiled and rose from her seat and patted the doctor on the back.

"You're right, Maura. I'm sure she does need her rest. You two go ahead and get out of here." She gave a nod in the direction of the door.

"Frankie…come here and help me with the dishes," he grumbled in protest, but then pushed himself up off his chair to join his mother at the sink.

Maura and Jane said their good-byes and the doctor pushed Jane out the door towards the car.

Angela watched the front door close. "Poor thing. I wanted to get her out of here before she started to hyperventilate." Angela shook her head. "You know, we should have bet on whether or not Maura would panic, not Jane."

"Yeah, you're right. I totally didn't see that coming." Frankie smiled as he dried off a plate. "Jane I expected to freak, but I always thought Maura would be totally fine with it." Frankie dried his hands off and fished his billfold out of his back pocket. He slapped the twenty dollar bill down on the table.

"You win."

* * *

Maura coaxed the drowsy detective up to her apartment and directed her to get ready for bed while the doctor took Jo out for her nightly walk. By the time Maura got back inside, Jane was under the covers and half asleep. The combination of drugs and alcohol had rendered the lanky woman utterly useless. Maura sat on the edge of the bed and tucked a stray strand of hair behind the detective's ear.

"You know, I think we're going to try this tomorrow without the drugs." Jane raised a sleepy eyelid to concentrate on the doctor's words.

"That might be a good idea. I don't think I can work like this." Her eyelid slipped closed again.

"I definitely know I can't work with you like this," Maura chuckled. "I'll leave some ibuprofen on the kitchen table for you. Try that in the morning, okay?"

The detective hummed her reply.

The doctor leaned down and placed a kiss on the brunette's forehead. "Good Night, Jane. I'll see you in the morning."

* * *

Jane parked as far away from the building as possible. The brisk morning walk in to work felt good and helped to clear the last few remaining cobwebs from her head. The normalcy of the usual morning buzz around the station felt refreshing.

She pushed through the door to the bullpen to find Frost already at his desk, shoulders hunched down and his eyes intently focused on the computer screen.

"Already hard at it, I see." Jane threw her jacket over the back of her chair. "What are you trying to do, make sergeant already?" she teased him.

Frost looked up from his screen to look at Jane.

She was smiling.

On a Monday morning.

"What happened to you this weekend? You're never in a good mood on a Monday morning."

Jane shrugged her shoulders, "Must be an after effect from the drugs I took yesterday. I finally got some pain meds for my neck."

Barry nodded his head at her. "Oh, I thought it might have something to do with your big date Saturday night with Maura."

"We didn't have a date, Frost." Jane crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Are you trying to get me in my normal shitty Monday morning mood?" The smile she had been sporting earlier started to form into a scowl.

"So, nothing good happened this weekend that you'd like to share with your partner, is that what you're telling me?" He twirled a pen around his fingers as he studied Jane.

She scoffed at his question, "Nah, nothing to report. Sorry to disappoint you." She busied herself pushing papers around her desk. A quick topic change was in order. "Where's Korsak?

"Ballistics found a partial match on the shell casing in the Jackson case. He just went to get a search warrant. Hope you didn't have plans tonight. Looks like it might be a long day."

The conversation was interrupted by the crisp clicks of the medical examiner's heels heading towards them. Maura had a beverage container of 4 steaming cups of coffee from Jane's favorite coffee house. A paper bag full of pastries dangled from her other wrist.

"Good morning, Jane…Barry," the doctor nodded at the detectives. She handed out the beverages as Frost grabbed the bag of food and searched its contents.

"Wow, Jane. She got all your favorites. What did you do this weekend to deserve all this?"

"Nothing!" Jane answered a little too quickly and loudly. She settled back down into her seat as she reached for her cup to take a drink of the scalding liquid. She'd do anything to keep her mouth shut right about now.

"I just felt like treating everyone this morning," Maura answered. She placed Vince's cup at his empty desk. The doctor moved to the back of Jane's chair and ran both of her hands along the top of Jane's shoulders. Frost's eyes locked onto Jane's to gauge the woman's reaction to the doctor's touch. Maura continued to trail her hands up Jane's neck, gently rubbing circles along the muscles checking for the spasms. Jane forced herself to remain staring at her partner and willed herself to keep her face neutral and not let out the small groan that pleaded to be released from her mouth.

"You're much more relaxed this morning, Jane." The doctor reached for her coffee and took a sip.

Frost leaned forward in his chair, "Why, was she a little tense the other night, doc.?"

"Shut up, Frost." Jane snapped at her partner. He smirked as he settled back into his chair and took a bite of a bagel.

"Thanks, Maur. I feel a lot better today." Jane gave the doctor a small smile. "Hey, can you pull the toxicology reports from the Jackson case? Sounds like we might have caught a break."

Maura smiled at her. "Sure, I'll let you know when I have them ready. I'll see you later." With a slight nod of her head, the doctor turned to leave the Homicide unit.

Jane relaxed back into her chair and slowly took a sip of her coffee. Her eyes burnt a trail up the doctor's flexing calves with each step down the corridor and up to her toned ass all the way through the doors. She followed the sashaying hips out to the elevator bank through the glass doors. Memories of that tight tush basking in moonlight caused a little smile to grow on her face that just reached her eyes. She took a cleansing breath and shook her head a little bit to clear her mind.

"Oh. My. God." Jane turned to see Frost staring at her, his mouth wide open in amazement. "Don't even try to deny it."

"What?" Jane asked, trying to remain cool.

"Don't 'what' me." He jerked his thumb towards the door. "You were totally checking out the doctor's ass!"

Jane shook her head and frowned, "No I wasn't." _Come up with something quick_. "I was thinking."

"Yeah, you were thinking about her ass!" Frost laughed as he leaned back into his chair. He grabbed a stack of files off his desk and pretended to straighten them. "Jesus, Jane. You're going to have to learn to control yourself. I've see most of the guys in the department stare at the doc, but you…," he chuckled, "you've got it bad."

"No…I was thinking about the Jackson case, you idiot." She tried to give Frost a stern look, but all she could think about was how smooth and soft the skin on Maura's backside was under her touch the other night. A slight shiver shook up her spine.

"I'm pretty sure Maura's ass didn't do it, so you can give it a rest." Barry brought his fist up to his mouth to hide the smile that he couldn't control. He half expected a stapler to fly across the room at him, but he determined it would be worth it. No way in hell he imagined what he just saw.

Jane got up out of her chair. "I'm going to ballistics. I want to see what they have with my own two eyes." She stormed out of the unit and headed down the hall _. Jesus. Get a hold of yourself._

* * *

Frost pushed his stapler across the desk and tried to ignore the rumble of his stomach. He checked his watch. Still 20 minutes until lunch. Shit, he was hungry.

"You guys up for pizza today? I'm starving already." Korsak and Jane nodded in agreement.

Korsak looked over his monitor at Jane, "You don't have lunch plans with the Doc?"

The brunette crumpled up a piece of paper and shot it into the basket next to Frost. She shrugged her shoulders. "No, I don't."

"Isn't that strange?" Korsak asked. "I mean…you two seem to do everything together. Shouldn't you at least ask your girlfriend if she wants to go with us?"

Jane rolled her eyes at the older detective. "Knock it off. I'm fully capable of eating lunch without Maura." As if on cue, the petite medical examiner pushed through the doors into the homicide unit.

"Jane. I need you." She had a mischievous grin on and a distinct twinkle in her eye. "Can you come down to the morgue? Now."

Jane looked at Korsak and Frost and shrugged, "Sure." She grabbed her jacket off of the back of her chair as she made her way across the bullpen. "I'll catch up with you guys later, okay?"

Korsak watched the two women make their way down to the elevators before turning to look at Frost.

"Dr. Isles sure did seem eager to get Jane downstairs, huh?"

Frost nodded his head, "Yeah." Frost stared down the hallway at the two ladies. "That was weird."

* * *

"I can't take it anymore." Frost looked up at the clock on the wall. It was 12:05. Jane had been gone for 15 minutes.

"Let's go downstairs and get her," Korsak said as he got up out of his chair and threw the tweed jacket over his shoulders.

Barry chuckled as he grabbed his keys off his desk and headed down the hallway. "I sure hope we don't interrupt anything." Korsak shook his head at the younger detective. "Well…you do have the morgue, so I kind of do hope we interrupt something."

Korsak pushed the down button to the elevator and rocked back on his heels as he stared up at the illuminated numbers on top of the doors. Both men remained quite as terms of the bet rolled around in their heads. The last few days had been a whirlwind of activity and speculation. All they were missing was concrete evidence. It was very frustrating. Both men shuffled inside the platform once the doors opened. With the elevator empty, they continued their conversation.

"I picked the morgue for a reason," Korsak smiled.

"Come on! There is no way that Jane would do that at work. Dr. Isles on the other hand…," Frost nodded his head in the affirmative as memories of the doctor's occasional displays of provocative tendencies swirled around in his head, "I could see her doing that."

"You know how she can talk Jane into anything. That's why I pushed so hard to get the morgue," Korsak chuckled.

The ding of the bell signaled their arrival to the basement. Both men stepped off the elevator and headed towards the morgue. It was empty as they walked through the autopsy room towards the doctor's office. The blinds were drawn and the door was closed, which was very uncharacteristic of the doctor. Barry furrowed his brow at the closed door as he contemplated what was on the other side of it.

He turned to Korsak and whispered, "We could listen at the door and see if we hear anything." Korsak's eyes widened at Frost's suggestion.

"Are you crazy? Jane would kill us."

Barry shrugged his shoulders. "Probable cause. Our partner's gone missing. She might be in danger. We should check it out like the trained detectives that we are." Korsak groaned.

"Okay, but if she finds out…it was all your idea." Both men walked up to the outside of the doctor's door, but jumped back slightly behind it as the door swung open and a frazzled Jane Rizzoli exited the office, the doctor right behind her.

Jane fanned the neck of her shirt attempting to get the cool air from the morgue to sooth her flushed skin. The doctor worked on tucking her blouse back into her skirt as Jane swung her jacket over her shoulders.

"Well, that was disappointing," Jane huffed, turning to look at the doctor as she finished pulling the sleeves down on her jacket. "And I'm freaking sweating. It's just dripping down my back."

The doctor checked to make sure all of the buttons on her shirt were buttoned correctly. "I know!" Maura answered, just as exasperated as Jane. "I really thought you would be better than that," she made a twisting motion with her wrist.

"Me! You're the one who's been going on and on about how great it was going to be for the last week." Jane rolled her eyes at the smaller woman. "By the way, you're not much better than me."

Maura stared at her with her mouth wide open. "How can you say that?" She wiped the sweat from her brow. "I've done that numerous times before and I've never heard any complaints."

"Oh, really? With who…Slucky? Like he would…you know, never mind," She grabbed Maura by the shoulders and gave her a stern glare. "Whatever you do…don't tell the guys about this. They'll never let me hear the end of it if they found out I blew off pizza to do this."

Maura nodded, "I'll keep it a secret. It's not like they could even see the hives. My skin is so flushed right now its bright red everywhere."

"Ahem…ladies." Korsak looked down sheepishly as he tried to make his and Frost's presence known to the oblivious ladies. "I'm sorry to break up the lover's quarrel, but…"

Jane's head snapped up to meet the detective's faces, surprised to find them down in the morgue. "What the hell, guys?"

Frost nervously stroked his tie and looked towards his feet, unable to meet his partner's eyes. "Wow... uh… I always thought it would be really hot between you two. You've totally ruined my fantasy."

"First of all," Jane glared at Frost and pointed an angry finger in his direction, "I can't believe you just said that you've fantasized about us." She stopped to shake her head at the fact that she just said those words out loud. "Secondly, we weren't doing anything."

"Bullshit!" Frost fake coughed into his closed fist. Korsak stifled a giggle with his hand.

"Oh my god!" Jane whirled around to face the doctor. "Tell them, Maura." Her arms flailed at her sides wildly, urging the doctor to clear the air.

Maura chewed at her bottom lip briefly before letting it go. "I think we should stop hiding it, Jane."

Jane's eyes widened as she stared slack-jawed at the doctor. "What! What are you talking about?" She frantically yelled at the shorter woman, suddenly afraid that they weren't on the same page.

Maura pointed back into her office, "Relax, Jane. I just think maybe we should show them."

"Oh, god! I don't want to watch." Korsak took a step backwards.

Jane shook her head slowly at the older detective, "For Christ sakes, Korsak. It's not what you think. Don't have a coronary on me, old man."

Maura stepped into her office and came back out with a Styrofoam container. "Sushi. The wasabi was incredibly hot."

Jane pointed at the offending food. "She's been telling me how great their food was, but I kept putting her off. I don't really like sushi." Jane made a face at the memory of the hot taste. "And to top things off, Maura made me try it with chopsticks and I accidently flipped a piece and it and flicked sauce on her blouse."

Maura looked at the other woman. "You're so athletic; I figured you could use chopsticks."

"Well…you're rich and fancy. I just figured you'd be better at using them. You dropped half of the pieces you tried to eat." Jane crossed her arms in front of her chest and leaned back onto one of the steel tables. Maura put her hands on her hips and stared at Jane. It was true that she wasn't as adept at using the chopsticks as she should have been. It's just that staring across her desk at Jane's flushed face from the spicy wasabi distracted her more than it should have.

Frost's eyes moved between the two bickering women. "Are you sure you two aren't married yet?"

Jane narrowed her eyes at her partner and pushed him in the shoulder towards the door.

"Shut up, Frost. Just for that, you're buying the pizza. I couldn't eat that crap. It smelled like fish."


	23. Chapter 23

Pacing in the morgue unnoticed was next to impossible with her loud boots. The lab techs were gone for the day and since no new bodies were brought in, the complete silence outside of Maura's office was unsettling. She needed a distraction, some noise…anything to make it not so awkward for her to be down here at the end of the day. She was nervous. Sixteen year-old high school type of nervous.

With a final breath, she knocked on Maura's door and peeked her head into the office.

"Jane, come in." The doctor closed the open file and removed the reading glasses she had been wearing. The detective entered the office and closed the door behind her. She made her way over and sat on the arm of the couch, her long legs stretched out before her. She looked up at Maura with a timid smile.

"Hi." She swallowed and flexed her hands, willing herself not to rub her palms. She gazed around the office, avoiding the kind hazel eyes that were watching her. _Why is this so fucking weird?_

"Jane…is there something wrong?" Maura asked quizzically.

Jane blew out a huff of air, "No. No, not really." She massaged her hand along her forehead several times before she brushed one side of her dark locks behind an ear. "I just came down here to tell you that Frost and I are driving out to serve the search warrant Korsak finally got late today. I'll be gone most of the evening." She saw a confused look on the doctor's face.

That look did nothing to quell the nerves that were bubbling over in her stomach. She rubbed both hands through her hair furiously, "I don't know how to do this." She shrugged her shoulders at the smaller woman.

"I thought I would look like an ass if I just left without saying anything, but now I feel like an ass for saying something…for assuming you want to or need to know where I am." She shot up off of the couch, subconsciously rubbing at the scars on both hands.

Maura's brow furrowed and she pushed up out of her chair to console the nervous detective.

"Jane…please relax," she took both of the detective's hands in her own and rubbed her thumb over the brunette's knuckles. "I'm glad you came down here to tell me." She tucked her head to meet the detective's downward gaze and smiled at her, hoping to ease the taller woman's nerves.

Jane stared at their intertwined hands. "I…I…just don't know what we are, you know? You're my best friend. The other night…well…how does that change things?" She looked into the doctor's eyes and quickly added, "I mean if you want them to change."

The doctor looked back down at the hands that filled her own. The hands of the strongest, bravest person she knew. Those same hands were now shaky and sweaty.

"I want things to be comfortable between us. I want you to be comfortable. I'll take this as fast or slow as you're willing to go, Jane." She smiled at the taller woman. "Remember…you said you weren't ready to talk."

"Augh…I know," the detective shook her head. "I'm sorry." She looked the doctor in the eye, "I told you I'm terrible at relationships."

The doctor winked at her as they walked to the office door, "Call me when you get back, just to let me know you're safe. Okay?"

Jane nodded her head, "I can do that."

* * *

The new break in the case was a welcome distraction for Jane. She and Frost bounced ideas back and forth on the case the entire way out to the suspect's parent's house. If they could just find the murder weapon, they could tie up another cold case.

The distinct buzz of her phone disrupted her current train of thought. She grabbed the phone off of her belt to check the text.

M: Would you like to have dinner with me tomorrow night?

Jane had to read the message twice. She typed out her response.

J: Like as in a 'date'?

She hit send and immediately felt the butterflies rise up in her stomach again. What if she had misread the intent of the message?

M: Of course. Is that a 'Yes'?

Jane breathed out a sigh of relief.

J: Yes.

After she sent it her brow furrowed a little.

J: Did you, Dr. Isles, just ask me out in a text? Is that how they teach you in those fancy schools you attended?

M: No, that's not standard dating protocol. Would you rather I had called you and asked you out over the phone with Frost sitting 12 inches away from you?

J: Touche (and yes I know there is supposed to be a thingy over the e, but I don't know to do it on my phone)

M: Lol. I'll pick you up at 7.

J: Okay.

Jane put the phone back on her belt clip and settled back into the seat.

"What are you grinning at over there, Rizzoli?" Frost asked as he alternated between looking at the road and his smiling partner.

She looked at him and shrugged, "Nothing, just playing a little Words with Friends."

* * *

The search warrant had been a huge waste of time. They had scoured the house and the garage and had come up with nothing. With no supporting evidence, the car ride back home had been quiet. Jane stared out the window, chewing on the side of her thumb as she concentrated on the tiny stars off in the distance.

She had a date tomorrow night.

A date with Maura Isles.

Holy fuck.

The initial excitement had worn off as the hours had passed and now a light panic had taken a hold of her chest. She pushed herself back into the seat and let her head fall back into the head rest. She had a date with her best friend. A dinner date. She had shared meals with the doctor hundreds of times before, but for some reason the thought of going out to eat with her tomorrow night terrified the shit out of her.

"You okay over there?" Frost asked.

Jane let her head fall to the left to look at her partner, "Huh? Yeah. Just peachy."

"You seem uptight." His eyes focused on the road ahead. "Want to talk about it?"

She picked at a nonexistent speck of dirt under her fingernail. "Nah, I'm good. Just thinking about some things. Personal things…nothing related to the case."

"Maybe you should talk to your best friend," he mentioned casually.

She tapped her fingers on the arm rest, "Yeah, I'll think about that." He was right. It's what she would normally do in this situation. She'd call Maura as soon as she had made a date with a guy. Maura would sense how nervous she was, and would drop whatever she was doing and come over to help her pick out her clothes and generally keep her busy so she wouldn't panic and back out at the last minute. She'd have to figure this one out on her own.

He glanced over at her again. "Well, if you change your mind. I'm here." He put up his fist and waited for her to respond in-kind. Jane looked over to him and grinned. She tapped her knuckles to his.

"Thanks, partner."

* * *

She threw the leash over the kitchen chair and refilled the water bowl for Jo. She scoured the refrigerator for something to drink and settled on a dark wheat ale. No way was the watery light beer going to do the trick tonight. She settled on the couch and sprawled her legs out, letting the small dog snuggle in for some overdue scratching behind the ears and under the neck. She picked up the phone and hit the familiar number.

"Hey," Maura answered as she swirled the dark red wine in the fine stemware. She marked her page in the medical journal and placed it on the bedside table. "Late night, huh?"

Jane smiled as she heard the book close on the other end of the line. "Yeah, late and uneventful. We didn't find the weapon." She took a swig of the beer as she continued to scratch the little dog. "I guess it's back to square one tomorrow."

Maura closed her eyes and listened to the slight rhythmic jingle of the tags on Jo's collar. "It sounds like Jo is enjoying a nice neck rub. That reminds me…how does your neck feel?"

Jane looked at the small dog, her eyes closed as she enjoyed the attention from her owner. "It feels much better. I've been sticking to the over the counter medicine and working on the stretches."

"Good."

A moment of uncomfortable silence filled the line between the two women.

Jane cleared her throat and decided to forge ahead. She wanted things to be normal, and this was the only way she knew how to proceed.

"So…I have a date tomorrow night." She waited for Maura's response.

The doctor placed her hand on her chest and smiled. "Really?" She searched for the right words. "This is unexpected. You hadn't mentioned that you were interested in anyone."

Jane let out a breathless chuckle. "Yeah, well…this just kind of snuck up on me." She took a moment and said quietly, "It's with a woman, Maura."

Maura feigned surprise, "Wow…really?"

"I know. Shocker, huh?"

Both women shared a small laugh over the phone.

"Well, you're a very attractive woman, Jane. I'm sure you get hit on by females all the time. What made you say yes to this one?" The doctor bit on her knuckle waiting to hear the detective's response.

Jane smiled into the phone. Maura Isles, the most confident, intelligent woman she had ever met was fishing for compliments?

"Well, for one thing, she's loaded."

"Jane!" the doctor yelled.

"I'm kidding!" Jane waited for the laughing on both sides of the line to die down before she continued. "I can't really put my finger on it, but something about this just feels right, you know?" She thought for a moment. "It's worth the risk."

Maura silently nodded her head, "You're not normally a risk taker unless you have your gun drawn, Jane."

"I know. That's why this is so nerve-wracking." She sighed. "God, I have no idea what I'm supposed to wear tomorrow night."

"This person has met you, right?" the doctor laughed, "I'm sure she'll take you somewhere you'll feel comfortable."

"Oh, you don't know her. She's probably already made reservations at some fancy 5-star restaurant that I can't even pronounce." Jane thought about the rows of expensive clothes hanging from the doctor's closet. She winced as she realized the contents of her own wardrobe.

Maura ran her finger over the binding of the book on the table, "I wouldn't be too concerned, Jane. If you're comfortable, the evening will be fine."

Jane took another long drink of her beer. "I hope so." She twirled her fingers in the fur at Jo's neck. "What about you…you doing anything special tomorrow night?"

Maura sat up a little straighter on her pillow. "Yes, actually I have a date with someone from work." She waited for Jane's sarcastic reply.

"Oh my god! Please don't tell me you are dating a cop?" Jane got up off the couch and made her way to the kitchen for another beer.

Maura chuckled, "Not just a cop. I'm going out with a decorated detective."

Jane couldn't keep the cocky grin from showing on her face.

"Oh, really? Haven't we warned you enough about the pitfalls of dating a cop? We have horrible hours, frequently miss obligations, and tend to drink too much. Maura…you could do so much better."

Maura smiled, "I know. But I have to admit that my attraction to the tall, dark haired, gorgeous detective is making me look past certain barriers." Her tone became serious.

"It's worth the risk, Jane."

The detective pushed the door closed and leaned back onto the refrigerator. "I hope we both know what we're doing."

"We're both intelligent, rational women, Jane. I'm confident we're both making the right decision."

Jane nodded her head silently at Maura's words.

"Although, the allure of handcuffs has been known to skew my judgment before…"

"Maura!" the exasperated brunette yelled.

"I'm kidding, Jane. I'm kidding." Maura lightly chuckled. A slight shiver made its way down between her shoulders as she thought of the restraints that hung at the small of the detective's back. She shook her head to snap out of it.

"I'll see you in the morning."


	24. Chapter 24

He glanced at the clock again. He'd put up with the constant annoying drumming sound coming from Jane's desk all morning. Exasperated, Frost had finally had enough.

"Are you in court today?"

Jane paused her hand for a moment. "No, why would you ask me that?" she looked at her partner, perplexed.

Frost sat back in his chair and observed his partner's confused look. "You do that when you're nervous," he motioned to the pencil dangling from Jane's left hand.

Jane scoffed, "I'm not nervous. Why would I be nervous?"

Frost leaned a little closer and eyed Jane carefully. "You tell me. You've been hammering away at the tip of that pencil for the last hour. Either you're nervous about something or you were just named the new drummer for Maroon 5."

Jane dropped the pencil to her desk. "I'm not nervous, okay." She wiped her palms on the front of her pants. She gripped the armrests and swiveled in her chair, suddenly conscious of the fact that she needed to do something with her hands. Fuck if she wasn't nervous. She hated it when Frost could see right through her.

She got up out of her chair and grabbed for her jacket. "I'm going to grab some coffee. You want some?"

He regarded her for a moment. _Avoidance._ It was so blatantly obvious. He had to swallow back the line of questioning that threatened to spill from his lips. "No, I'm good. You go ahead."

He watched as Jane nodded her head and made her way out of the unit.

_You can't hide it forever, Rizzoli._

* * *

She looked in the mirror for the fifth time in the last ten minutes. _Jesus. What the hell am I doing? I feel like I'm going to have the dry heaves right now. How am I supposed to eat dinner?_ She checked her watch again. Maura would be here any moment. She was never late. Too bad, because she could really use a couple of more moments to pull herself together.

Jane walked back to the front room and watched as the scruffy dog made a few circles on her dog bed before settling down into the soft downy pillow. Jo released a contented snort of air as her snout settled in between her paws.

"Well, I'm glad to see one of us is comfortable tonight," Jane huffed at the sight of her pet snuggled in her dog bed. She walked over to the small dog and squatted down so she could pat Jo on the head. "Just so you know…if this goes horribly wrong tonight, you're sleeping in my bed with me." She gave the small dog a rub along her back.

Three crisp knocks at the door brought her back to reality. _Oh shit. Here we go._

Jane stood and with as much confidence as she could muster, she strode to the front door and swung it open with a smile on her face.

Of course Maura looked gorgeous.

"Hey," Jane smiled. _You're on a date, for Christ sakes, pick it up a notch._ She cleared her throat and continued. "You look great." Maura looked pleased at her compliment.

"Hi, Jane. You look fantastic, too." She smiled at the detective. "Shall we?" she motioned down the hall.

"Sure," Jane grabbed her jacket and headed out the door, following closely behind the doctor. She kept her eyes downcast at the smaller woman's heels as Maura led their way out of the building.

The cool evening air felt refreshing on Jane's skin as she pushed through the heavy front door of her apartment building. She glanced up and saw the muted gray Prius parked in front of her building.

She hadn't realized she had stopped walking toward the car until Maura turned to her and spoke.

"Is everything okay?" Maura asked as she paused before she opened the driver's side door. She thought she saw a hint of disappointment on the detective's face.

The detective shook her head slightly to pull herself back into the present tense, "Uh…yeah. Yeah, everything is just fine, Maur." She took the few remaining steps and reached for the door handle of the eco-friendly, totally un-sexy Prius and pulled it open _. Freaking salesman should be cited for selling such a utilitarian car to the doctor. Was he blind?_ Jane cleared her throat, "Let's go."

* * *

The restaurant could best be described as casual elegance. It suited them perfectly, actually. The Italian restaurant's low lighting accentuated the exposed brick walls, giving it a very comfortable ambiance. Maura asked if she would like to share a bottle of wine, so Jane sat back and let her take over the ordering. She watched as Maura swirled the small amount of wine in the glass, taking her time to inhale the aroma of the fermented red fruit. She looked on as the doctor took a dainty sip of the red liquid and let it roll over her tongue before swallowing the small taste. She licked her lips and nodded her approval to the waiter. The young man filled both of their glasses before he politely excused himself.

"I don't know why you bothered to taste it. I know that's one of your favorite bottles of wine," Jane teased before she took a slip of the familiar dark liquid, "You were going to accept it anyway."

"It would be rude not to…there's a certain level of expectation, detective." Maura chuckled quietly at Jane's observation. "It's customary for the waiter to seek approval."

Jane wiped the corner of her mouth with her napkin. "Are you always going to be concerned with other's approval, doctor?" She raised her eyebrow in question, already knowing the doctor's response.

The honey blonde leaned in and reached across the small table and covered the brunette's hand with her own. "I've been known to forgo a few traditions now and then, Jane," she said in a low, seductive voice before taking a healthy sip of wine.

The detective leaned in and watched as the reflection of candlelight flickered in the hazel eyes across the table from her. She murmured under her breath to herself, "Are you trying to seduce me, or scare the hell out of me?"

The doctor squeezed her hand and smiled as she swirled the wine her glass, "Did you say something, Jane?"

"Are you two ready to order?" the young waiter interrupted as he flipped out his order book.

Jane let loose the breath she was holding.

"I'll have the lasagna."

* * *

The whisper quiet of the Prius amplified the crunch of the tires rolling across the loose sand in front of Jane's apartment. Damn that quiet car. She couldn't tell if Maura had actually turned it off, or if she was idling it just waiting for Jane to end the evening and say good-bye. She sat there in a moment of uncomfortable silence staring outside the car window at the front of her building.

"So…I have a bottle of wine…" Jane let the words linger in the air. She didn't want to seem too eager.

Maura cocked an eyebrow at her, "Is it any good?"

Jane turned her head to look at the doctor and rolled her eyes at the other woman, "Of course. You picked it out."

Maura smiled, "Well in that case, let's go upstairs. It's not going to drink itself."

* * *

Jane pulled the dark bottle out of her small wine rack and slid it across the kitchen counter to the doctor as she made her way over to the cabinet to pull out a couple of glasses. Maura found the corkscrew in the drawer and went to work opening the bottle. She looked around the small, familiar apartment as she expertly worked at removing the cork. The soft earth tone colors in the apartment were comforting. The masculine color scheme was made decidedly more feminine by the little touches, such as the occasional wicker basket and houseplant displayed throughout the apartment. Most were probably Angela's doing, Maura internally giggled at the thought as she poured the wine into the two glasses.

"What…you're not going to taste it first?" Jane said as she mockingly grabbed at her chest in a fake display of distaste.

Maura kept her eye locked on the other woman as she took a large sip from her glass. She swallowed the wine and placed her glass back on the countertop. The doctor licked her upper lip and let her eyes trail down the detective's lithe body. "No…I already know I like it," she said as her eyes met back up with the deep brown eyes staring back at her.

Jane leaned her right elbow on the countertop as she looked at the doctor. "You're just full of surprises, Doctor Isles." Jane took a long, slow sip of the wine as she attempted to calm her nerves.

Maura took a step closer to the detective and leaned her left elbow on the counter in front of the taller woman. She traced the raised skin on the back of Jane's hand with her index finger, "You have no idea."

Jane looked over the doctor's shoulder at her small living room couch. She knew that if they made their way over to the couch, things would escalate in an instant. She thought it might be safer to stay in the kitchen tonight.

"For someone who has to run 45 different tests to conclusively determine that a reddish-brown stain is, in fact, blood…you certainly do seem sure of yourself." Jane took another gulp of her wine.

Maura tried to stifle the grin that teased at the corners of her mouth. She ran her index finger up Jane's forearm to play in the crook of her elbow. "A good friend of mine once told me some things are worth the risk."

Both women held each other's gazes as a multitude of thoughts ran through each of their minds. Maura had pushed the envelope with Jane. She wouldn't push the detective any further tonight. She would let Jane dictate the pace.

After a minute of mindlessly tracing the skin on Jane's forearm, Maura shook her head slightly and took a step back. "It's getting late. I should probably go."

Panic struck at Jane's chest as the doctor moved away from her. _Don't screw this up!_ Her hand shot out and grabbed at Maura's wrist. "Wait." She stepped in front of the smaller woman, closing the distance between them. She let her hand trail from Maura's wrist up to her shoulder before moving back down to her elbow, holding the doctor in place.

She leaned into Maura's ear and whispered, "Thank-you for dinner." Her hot breath tickled at the doctor's ear, "I had a really good time."

Jane brought her other hand up to gently wrap around the nape of the doctor's neck as she softly caressed the skin in front of Maura's ear with her thumb. She caught the hitch in Maura's breath at her touch.

Jane closed the remaining distance and let her lips slide over the doctor's mouth, gently caressing the other woman's slightly parted lips before letting her tongue slide into the inviting space. She felt a tickle of electricity work its way down to spot low in her belly, causing a slight throbbing sensation between her legs. A small moan escaped from the smaller woman as Jane's hand wound its way to the small of her back, pulling them closer and deepening the kiss.

Maura reluctantly broke off the kiss and leaned back in the embrace slightly, letting her finger trace the fabric on the neckline of Jane's shirt. "I did, too. We should do this again…soon," she said breathlessly. She looked up into dark eyes, expectantly. She saw a flicker of hesitation as Jane's eyes moved from her lips back up to catch Maura's eyes. The doctor didn't trust herself to go in for another kiss. She only had so much willpower where Jane was concerned. She let her finger trail down to the top button on the detective's shirt. _Oh, fuck…I've got to stop here._ She smiled at the detective as she gingerly broke away from the embrace and took a step towards the door.

The doctor grabbed her bag and squeezed Jane's hand as she reached for the door handle. "Good night, Jane."

* * *

Maura finished rubbing the lotion into her legs and wiped her hands off on the towel. It had been long enough. She reached for the phone on her nightstand.

"Hey…you're home early," Jane said as she answered the phone. "Date with the cop must have been a disaster, huh?"

"No, not exactly." Maura chuckled into the phone, "And it's not early…it's rather late by first date standards."

"Oh my god, please don't tell me the detective pulled out the cuffs on the first date. That is so tacky," Jane teased.

"Jane! I'll have you know my date was very respectful."

Jane smiled at the doctor's voice. "So your detective didn't make a move on you? The cop has seen you, right? He must be gay."

Maura laughed, "Did I forget to mention the cop was a woman?"

"Really? I don't think you mentioned that earlier. That's not something I would forget." Jane smiled as she made her way over to her bed.

"So…how was your first date with a woman?" Maura asked.

"Hmm…it was really nice." Jane thought back to the dinner they had shared. "She really knows how to lay on the charm."

"Did she make a move on you?"

"Maura!" Jane laughed into the phone.

The doctor twirled some hair around her finger, "Maybe she's waiting for you to make the first move."

Jane thought for a moment. "Why…because I would be the stereotypical guy in the relationship?"

"No, maybe she thinks that your traditional Italian Catholic upbringing would make you uncomfortable if she made a move so early on you."

"Well, maybe she should be less worried about traditional norms." Jane slipped her watch off and placed it on the nightstand.

"Hmm…maybe." Maura reached over and turned off her bedside lamp. "Are you in bed?"

"Yeah," Jane snuggled down into her pillow further. "Are you?"

"Yes, but I don't think I can go to sleep quite yet." Maura groaned into the phone, "I can't stop thinking about my date."

She chuckled, "Are we a little hot and bothered, Dr. Isles?"

Maura grinned into the phone, "Slightly, yes." She thought back to the kiss good night. She bit her knuckle before tentatively asking, "Jane...what are you wearing right now?"

She looked down at her body sprawled out on the bed. The thigh length cutoff sweatpants and old Patriots t-shirt was her favorite nighttime ensemble.

A devilish grin tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Nothing at all, Maura. Nothing at all."

The doctor's eyes closed on the other end of the line as she let her imagination run wild at the image of the raven haired beauty lying across crisp clean sheets in the buff. She allowed herself a moment of bliss as her body shuddered at the mental image. She slowly opened her eyes and stared at the wall across from her. "You're a terrible liar, but thank you."

Jane's gravelly voice filled the line, "Sweet dreams, Maura."


	25. Chapter 25

The crisp, moist morning air filled Jane's lungs as her boots crunched through the few early autumn leaves that had fallen from the street trees. She gazed up at the bright blue sky and its scattered, puffy white clouds. It was a beautiful morning.

The fact that she felt so alive this morning should have made her feel guilty. She was on her way to view a dead body, after all. She let herself enjoy the last few minutes of normalcy as she rounded the corner.

She saw the familiar small crowd gathered just outside the outstretched yellow caution tape. Uniformed officers kept the onlookers behind the perimeter they had established. She always wondered where all these people were when the victim gasped their final breath, no doubt screaming for help.

She noticed Maura already crouched down by the body as she parted through the crowd.

Jane wiped at her mouth to try and hide the smile that came to her face as she ducked under the crime scene tape _. Detectives don't walk up to a murder scene with a grin on their face, dumb shit._

"Victor 825, Rizzoli." She flashed her badge as she made her way towards the small congregation of police that had secured the area. Frost and Korsak were already there going over notes.

She paused a moment to look around them towards the medical examiner perched next to the victim. She angled her head to the side to view the way the flowered dress rode slightly up to mid-thigh length exposing an expanse of white, creamy skin as the doctor squatted next to the body. Her knees were demurely placed together as she balanced on the deep blue heels. Calves flexed as she leaned over and took a measurement at the victim's chest. Taut, yoga-trained quadriceps muscles stretched to keep the doctor balanced. Jane subconsciously licked her lips and shuttered slightly as she took in the sight of the exposed skin of the doctor.

She realized she was smiling again. At a murder scene, for Christ's sakes. _Fuck._ She shook her head slightly. She looked around at all the uniforms to make sure no one saw her gawking at the doctor's legs. She let out a breath and took a step towards the body.

"Official police business!" she heard over her shoulder. She stopped her progression and groaned as she let her head fall back to her shoulders. Jane turned around slowly and watched as Rondo tried to make his way over to her. She waved him through and cut him off before he got too close to the crime scene and the other officers. "Do you have something for me, Rondo?"

"You told me to keep my eyes open, Vanilla." He raised his eyebrows at Jane, "I've picked up on some interesting intel at this crime scene…and it don't have nothing to do with the crime, if you know what I mean, 5-0." He nodded his head in the direction of Maura who was still looking over the body.

Jane rubbed a hand through her hair and grimaced at being caught staring at the doctor. She looked up to the sky and rubbed the bridge of her nose. _Oh shit_. Jane reached into her jacket and pulled out a twenty. She pressed it into Rondo's hand. "Let's just keep that bit of information between you and me, okay Rondo?"

"I've got your back, Vanilla," he winked at her as he took a step back towards the alley. He took a quick peek at the doctor before looking back to Jane. He gave her two thumbs up, "Your secret's safe with me."

"Oh, Jesus," she muttered as she made her way back over to the crime scene. _Focus on the job, Rizzoli._

She strode up to Frost and Korsak and nodded at the two men, purposefully avoiding the doctor's gaze out of the corner of her eye. She knew if she met Maura's eyes she'd have that stupid school-girl grin back on her face in no time.

She brushed the edges of her jacket back and placed her hands on her hips, giving Maura a view of the thick black gun on one side, and the glistening gold shield on the other. "What do you have so far, guys," she said in her deep, raspy voice.

Frost flipped over a page in his notebook, "Ronald Stevens, 37. The address on his driver's license found at the scene puts his place of residence over in that building." He pointed to the 4-story apartment complex across the street. "Based on the amount of blood here," he indicated with a nod of his head behind him, "I'd guess he was murdered here." Jane noticed how Frost kept his back to the victim and avoided looking at the bloodbath behind him. It was a rather brutal scene with blood spray splattered onto the adjacent building and pooling under the body.

Korsak agreed with his assessment, "No indication of smearing or dragging. I'd say he was killed in this spot. We have a few footprints that we're preserving until the crime scene techs get here."

Jane glanced over to the body, the medical examiner still perched next to the victim gathering her initial evidence. Maura could see the wheels turn in the detective's mind as Jane scanned the area around the body. She looked at the blood splatter and followed it up the bricks. She took in the direction of the victim's limbs and squinted slightly as she pictured which direction he was heading when the final blow was rendered. The detective glanced up to the windows of the neighboring buildings and twisted her head to gain a 360 degree view of the area. Maura could practically see her writing mental notes to herself on which floors would have the best view and lead to a potential witness.

Maura loved to watch Jane work.

She loved to watch the intensity in the brunette's deep brown eyes as she surveyed a crime scene, how her passion for the task at hand took over her and guided her. Instincts directed the detective, and even as many times as Maura had said that she didn't believe in 'gut instincts', she had a hard time tearing her eyes away from Jane as she examined her surroundings and let the visual evidence soak into her brain to help her formulate her initial assessment of the crime.

Jane reached into her jacket and pulled out two blue latex gloves. She slapped them into her hand a few times as she took another glance around the area and thought about how to proceed.

"Frost…why don't you grab one of the uniforms and head over to the vic's apartment. Check to see if anything is out of order there." She pulled one of the latex gloves on and stretched her fingers to the end before letting go with a snap. Maura's eyes fluttered shut as she unabashedly watched the detective. The movement didn't go unnoticed by the detective. "Korsak, how about you go canvas that building over there for witnesses?" She nodded her head to the right, indicating the building. Korsak silently waived his notepad at her in agreement as he turned to leave. Jane pulled on the other glove, letting go with another snap as she moved over towards Maura and the body. She noticed how the doctor looked down as a flush worked its way up her chest and neck.

Jane closed the distance as the other detectives dispersed and crouched down by the body as Maura's normally adept hands fumbled with a vial of vitreous fluid. The detective glanced around to make sure no one was close to them.

"So…the latex gloves do it for you, huh?" Jane teased as she settled down and peered into the gapping stab wounds on the victim.

Maura shook her head. "No. It's the control. I love it when you walk into a crime scene and seize control of the situation," she let her eyes linger over the detective's athletic frame next to her. "You direct Frost, which is expected. But even Korsak lets you take the lead. He's your superior officer, but he still takes a back seat to you when you come in wielding your authority." She paused to take in a deep breath. "It's very arousing."

A few crime scene technicians began filtering in to the area to start work.

"Hmm," Jane pretended to look around the body for evidence, avoiding eye contact with the doctor as she nodded slowly. "I'll keep that tidbit of information under advisement." She couldn't help the smug smile that crossed her face as she pushed up on her thighs and towered over the doctor. "I'll check in with you later. Call me if you need anything."

* * *

This wasn't your standard run of the mill stabbing. Their victim's chest had been split open by something massive and sharp. The scene was rather gruesome, so Korsak assigned Frost to start gathering background information on the few leads they had come up with already. He and Jane thought it was best if Frost stayed away from the morgue on this one.

Korsak punched the button for the morgue as Jane slid into the elevator with him. She eyed the older detective silently as the elevator descended. They stepped off after the doors opened in the basement.

"What is that…your third donut of the day?" Jane crinkled her nose at the fried dough in Korsak's hand. He shrugged his shoulders at her as he chomped down on another bite. She found it hard to believe he could eat while looking at a dead body, especially one as mangled as the one they were currently approaching.

Jane walked up to the corpse and crumpled her face at the nude male torso laid out in all his glory. She waved her hand over the sprawled out dead guy. "Jesus, Maura. Can't you cover him up a little? I'm not sure which is worse to look at…the gaping hole in his chest, or that thing," she said pointing to the flaccid male appendage.

"Oh, but I have some information to show you that might help with the case." Maura looked at the two detectives, excited to share her initial findings.

Maura leaned over the corpse to attempt to pull up his right shoulder. Her position put her cleavage directly over the dead man's face

"I bet if he was awake right now, he wouldn't be quite so limp," Jane said out of the corner of her mouth to Korsak. "I know it's killing you not to do that horrible gesture and sound men do when they have their head between two boobs." The older man chuckled at her as he swallowed another bite.

"Dr. Isles is a lady…I wouldn't do that," Maura smiled sweetly at Korsak as she went back to figure out how best to move the body efficiently. "But I'm totally going to mimic it when I tell Frost about this later," he whispered out of the side of his mouth to Jane. She kept her eyes straight ahead and grinned. Maura playfully rolled her eyes at them. Teasing and joking always helped to lighten the mood during an autopsy. Without it, you had time to think about the life that was just lost, the families that were shattered, and the tears that would flow from loved ones. Their jobs were serious. They deserved some release, even over a dead body.

"You know, you could help me," Maura looked up at Jane, her hands still on the corpse's shoulder. Korsak was still clutching half of a donut, so she didn't bother to ask him.

Jane looked down at her pale yellow oxford shirt, "I can't…new shirt. I don't want to get a smattering of dead guy on it the first day." She ran her hand down the front of the new, crisp material.

Maura squinted at Jane's shirt as she leaned on the cold steel table. "I thought that was new." She cocked her head to the side. "I really like that color on you. It pulls out the warm tones in your skin." She yanked up on the man's shoulder and revealed the broken heart tattoo that encompassed the initials SMJ. Korsak wiped his hands on a napkin and noted the initials in his book.

Jane pulled her chin in a little and looked down at her new shirt. She stammered, "Uh…thanks." A small blush of color ran up her chest at the compliment from the doctor.

"You should wear that color more often," the doctor said as her eyes raked down the slim detective's form.

Jane shifted her weight from one boot to the other and thrust her hands in her pockets. "Um…yeah…I could do that."

Korsak cleared his throat to remind the ladies that he was still in the room, "If you two are done flirting, could we get on with this?" Jane rubbed her hand through her hair and rolled her eyes at her partner.

Maura lowered the victim's shoulder and moved down to his hip.

"Here…look at his ass," the doctor said.

"I'm really more of a tit kind of gal, Maur." Jane winked as she leaned back on her heels and pursed her lips to keep from smiling at her own joke.

Maura stifled a grin, "I bet you are," she mumbled. The doctor proceeded to roll the victim up onto one hip to expose the tattoo of a dark haired woman on his right buttock.

Korsak peeled his eyes up from his notebook to glance over the top of his reading glasses at the two women. They both stared at each other like Korsak wasn't even in the room. _Oh, boy._

"Ah…so maybe we're looking for a killer with long brunette hair and the initials SMJ," Korsak said as he looked at the tattoo and tried to get his focus back on the case.

"It's the only lead we've got right now. Let's get to work," Jane took a step towards the door. "You'll call us if you come up with anything else?"

Maura slowly peeled off her latex gloves and tossed them into the waste receptacle, "You'll be the first to know."

* * *

She sat back against the cool vinyl seat and stretched her neck as she let her eyes close in a moment of solitude. Frost and her had covered a lot of territory today and had developed a couple of promising leads in the new case. They'd agreed to call it a night and meet up first thing in the morning at the office. She realized they hadn't had a decent meal all day. She was famished…and thirsty. She looked at her watch. It was a quarter past 7. It was possible Maura hadn't eaten dinner yet, either.

She pulled out her phone and punched out a message.

J: _Have you eaten yet?_

She waited for a minute for the reply.

M: _No. I just got home. I was going to mix up some greens._

Maura took off her jacket and reached for a hanger.

Jane looked at her phone and thought about the organic lettuce Maura had in her refrigerator. She balked at the thought of something light and healthy. She needed a cold brew and a juicy steak.

_J: I'm craving something more satisfying than a salad. Be at O'Malley's in 15 minutes. I'll order the Caesar for you._

The detective grinned at her phone, waiting to see how Maura would respond to her demand. The restaurant was only 10 minutes from Maura's house and it took all of 3 minutes to take care of that prehistoric pet of hers.

_M: You're awfully bossy. What makes you think I'm going to drop everything and rush over there?_

Maura had already started to put her coat back on her arms as she quickly threw some greens in Bass's bowl and made her way over to the mirror to check her make-up.

_J: I was under the impression you liked it when I was assertive._

_M: Make it 20 minutes._

_J: Fine. I'll have a drink while I wait._

_M: And Jane...add some chicken to that salad._

Dr. Isles was in the mood for something a little more satisfying tonight, too.


	26. Chapter 26

Jane finished the last swallow of the amber ale as she watched Maura glide through the front door of the restaurant. Maura scanned the inside of the establishment; her face instantly broke out into a relaxed smile once she spied Jane at a table in the corner.

The doctor had changed into some casual clothes after the autopsy, but still managed to look flawless, as always. She knew Maura had endured just as long a day as she had, most of it up to her elbows in the exposed chest of Ronald Stevens. She glanced at her watch. Fifteen minutes. She waved at the glass of white wine across the table from her as Maura settled into her seat, "Your Sauvignon Blanc, madam."

Maura's eyes sparkled back at her, "You remembered." The waiter swooped by them and placed their respective meals in front of the women. Jane ordered another beer from the waiter before he left and watched as Maura properly unrolled her utensils from her napkin and laid it across her lap.

"I've eaten enough meals with you to know that you prefer that wine over your normal Chardonnay when you have a Caesar Salad," Jane said as she watched the doctor spear her first bite of the salad. "Something about grapefruit notes and complimenting the lemony facets of the dressing …or something to that effect," she waived her hand dismissively at the beverage, "I can't remember exactly."

Jane sat back and watched as Maura dipped the forkful of salad into the small stainless steel cup of dressing before she wrapped her lips around the bite. _Damn. She could even make eating a salad look erotic_.

"Hmm…that's very observant of you," the doctor wiped her lips with her napkin. "I guess that's what I should expect if I'm dating a detective."

Jane huffed, "What? The attention to detail," a slow smirk curled onto her lips, "or the somewhat creepy stalker-like tendencies of remembering every minor thing?" Jane sawed through her steak and stabbed a bite before looking up from her plate. "Sometimes they _are_ hard to differentiate." She popped a piece of steak into her mouth and chewed as she grinned at the doctor.

"Definitely the former." Jane seemed pleased with the doctor's answer and relaxed as she took another long drink of her beer.

Jane sliced through another morsel. "So…did you come up with a murder weapon yet?"

The doctor tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear and observed as Jane shoveled another bite into her mouth. "Is this a work dinner, or a date?"

Jane quickly chewed the steak and put up her hand in defense. "Whoa, Maur." She swallowed, "Of course this is a date.” She wiped at her mouth with her napkin. She shrugged her shoulders slightly; "It's just that we already know everything about each other so I thought…" she waited for Maura to nod her head in agreement, but the doctor just stared back at Jane flatly. "…So I thought _incorrectly_ , apparently," Jane gave an exaggerated nod of her head as she grimaced, "that we could kill two birds with one stone and get caught up on the case."

Maura looked back down into her salad and moved a few pieces around with her fork, "We don't know everything about each other, Jane."

"Really? You're kidding me…right, Maur?" Jane leaned in towards the doctor. "You know me better than anyone. You know everything about my family." Jane straightened back up. "What else on earth could you possibly want to know about me?"

The doctor's eyes flashed back up to meet Jane's questioning look. "There is one important element in our new relationship that hasn't been discussed, Jane." Maura's eyebrow rose as she waited for Jane to realize what she was implying.

Jane's brow furrowed as she looked at the doctor.

_No. She can't be talking about…_

The detective scrutinized the smaller woman more closely. Maura's head tilted slightly.

_Oh my god…she really does mean…_

Jane's eyes widened at the realization of what topic of discussion Maura was alluding to with the quirk of her eyebrow.

"Um…Maur…," Jane winced, "that's not really appropriate dinner date conversation, either."

Maura shrugged and went about preparing another bite of salad. "I just thought it might be nice if we had a discussion about likes and dislikes in the bedroom." She popped in a small bite of salad into her mouth and chewed. She waived her hand dismissively as she swallowed, unsure of why Jane thought discussing sex during dinner would be unacceptable. "It makes sense for couples to discuss this type of thing."

Jane's eyes intensely focused on cutting her steak as she shook her head and mumbled half to herself, "I am NOT having this conversation right now…"

"Jane…," Maura admonished the brunette, "why wouldn't you want to share with me some things that you like or don't like so that I can accommodate you?"

 _Accommodate me?_ Jane's jaw dropped down and she looked at Maura like the doctor had just sprouted another head, "Okay…right now…this," she motioned her hand between the two women, "I don't like talking about this." Maura quirked her head at the detective again. "I'm not kidding, Maur." Jane sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. "Not sexy."

"I'm not trying to be sexy, Jane." Maura looked up at the ceiling and pursed her lips, "I'm just on a fact-finding mission." She scrunched up her perfectly shaped nose, "I like data. Does that surprise you?"

"Really?" Jane ran a hand through her unruly hair, an exasperated expression etched on her features.

Maura folded her hands in her lap and waited patiently for Jane to answer her question. She had the patience of a saint. She could wait all night.

Jane groaned in frustration as she realized Maura wasn't going to let it rest until she appeased her, at least a little.

The detective rubbed the bridge of her nose and looked around the restaurant to make sure no one could hear their conversation before she leaned toward Maura and said in a hushed tone, "No morning sex. Lights are always out," she took one final glance around and lowered her voice even more, "and I prefer some music to drown out the uh…noises." Jane tossed her napkin onto the table, signaling the end of her foray into the discussion.

"Thank-you," Maura smiled. "Was that so hard?" She grinned at the uncomfortable detective as she chewed through another small bite of salad.

Jane took another long pull on her beer, "Yes, actually it was." She noticed the doctor biting her bottom lip, trying desperately to hide a smile.

"You can ask me anything you'd like," Maura offered as she wiped the corner of her mouth with her napkin.

Truthfully, Jane ventured to guess that Maura had relatively little listed in her 'dislike' column. And whatever was listed there, she was almost certain was on hers as well, so it would never come into play.

That, and the fact that there was no way in hell Jane wanted to hear Maura open the flood gates on her likes and dislikes in a public setting. The woman had no filter. Jane squirmed in her seat as she thought of a way to silence the doctor.

"That won't be necessary," Jane straightened her shoulders and took a cleansing breath. "I'm pretty confident my police training will come in handy." Jane bit back the smirk. "I think I'll stick to using my detective skills to figure out what you like, Maur."

"And how to you plan on doing that?"

"You know how I love to solve mysteries." Jane traced the beer label with her finger. "I have my methods." Jane looked up to meet Maura's bemused expression. "Observation, gut instinct, going over different scenarios in my head, you know."

"Oh, like fantasizing?" Maura quipped.

Jane narrowed her eyes at the doctor, "No…like trying to read your mind. Determining what makes you tick…what kind of things illicit a response." Jane leaned in closer and spoke to the doctor in her low, raspy voice. "You know…find your triggers."

Maura's breathing had deepened at Jane's words.

"What if that doesn't work?" Maura's voice creaked out quietly.

Jane leaned across the small table and took the doctor's hand in hers. She slowly traced around Maura's wrist as she spoke.

"Well then, normally Frost and I would take a difficult subject in for questioning."

Jane peered deep into Maura's darkened eyes. "You'd be cuffed." Jane noticed the small tick in Maura's eye. "Tied down to the table. Completely defenseless."

Jane flicked her hair out of her eyes, "I'd get in close to your face and ask you questions, make you answer them until I was satisfied. If you were being uncooperative I would walk behind you and place my hands on your shoulders and lean down until you could feel my hot breath reflecting off the skin on your neck. I'd tell you about all the terrible things I could do to you to if you didn't cooperate."

Maura squirmed slightly in the chair.

"You'd eventually cave and give me _everything_ that I wanted. And I do mean _everything_."

Maura's bottom lip quivered slightly as her eye lids fluttered shut, "And then what would you do to me."

Jane leaned in even closer so she could whisper her answer to the doctor, "Absolutely nothing."

Maura's eyes flashed open. "Nothing? Why?"

Jane moved back into her chair and shrugged, "Because Frost would be in the room with us. Duh, Maura." Jane laughed as she took another swig of her beer.

Maura drew in a breath to steady herself, "I like your method better. It does have its merits."

Jane's mouth curled up into a smile, her dimples appeared even darker than usual in the dim lighting of the restaurant.

A familiar buzz went off on her belt, interrupting the moment.

"Oh, shit." Jane looked at her phone and shook her head. "Speak of the devil…it's Frost." She groaned as she read the text. "Our suspect is supposed to be on a flight leaving Logan at the ass-crack of dawn." Jane typed out a reply to Frost. "I have to meet him at the station at 3:30 in the freaking morning."

Maura's face fell in disappointment at the news. "I guess you'd better get some sleep then."

Jane snapped the phone back onto her belt and ran a hand over her face, "Yeah, I guess I should." She looked apologetically at Maura, "Sorry this date had to end so early."

Maura offered a weak smile at the detective, "Not a problem." She stopped to think for a moment. "Third date is supposed to be the charm anyway, right?"

"Yeah, something like that," Jane offered.

Maura raises her chin, "Then, go out with me tomorrow, Jane." Maura watched as Jane threw some bills on the table to cover the check. "There's a film I'd like to take you to see."

Jane shrugged her shoulders, "Okay, it's a date." They made their way out of the restaurant to the parking lot.

Jane's brow furrowed as they stepped alongside the Prius. "You said a film…not a movie. Should I be worried?"

Maura laughed and she playfully slapped Jane on the shoulder, "Don't worry, detective. I'll make sure you have a good time tomorrow night."

Jane grabbed the smaller woman by the hands and leaned down and placed a quick kiss to her lips. "I'm counting on it." Jane took a step away from the doctor towards her cruiser, but stopped quickly before adding, "And Maur?" Jane scrunched up her nose at the subcompact Toyota, "Make sure you pick me up in the Mercedes tomorrow night."


	27. Chapter 27

Frost looked up at the clock. It was a little after 5pm. He tossed his pen to the desk, "Let's get out of here. I've been up since 3am. I'm beat." He looked over to his partner. She had been staring comatose at her monitor for the last 20 minutes. "By the looks of it, you've been up longer than me." Jane rubbed at her face, trying to wake herself up enough to get out of her chair.

"Yeah, I didn't get much sleep last night." Jane stood and slung her blazer over her shoulders.

Frost looked over to Korsak, "You do realize that Jane and I are off tonight. Anything comes in, it's all yours." Korsak nodded his head in agreement and waved his fingers at Frost.

"I know." He looked at the two bedraggled detectives. "You both need a good dose of beauty sleep, anyway. Get out of here and go home."

Frost opened the door as he and Jane made their way towards the elevators. "Hey…do you want to grab a quick bite to eat before you head home? I'm going to crash as soon as I hit the door, so I figured I'd better grab something here at the café or at the Robber."

Jane winced as she went to answer Frost, "Sorry…I can't." _Please don't push it._

"You can't eat? Or you can't eat with me?" Frost looked at Jane with a raised eyebrow.

Jane looked to the ceiling as she exhaled, "I'm having dinner with Maura tonight, okay?" She waited a beat before she lowered her head to meet her partner's amused expression. "It's just dinner." He slightly nodded his head as he waited, arms crossed at his chest, enjoying his partner's sudden discomfort. "Jesus, Frost. What is it with you?"

He let out a puff of air, "I didn't say anything, Jane."

"You insinuated…with…," she waved her hand at his body, "…with your 'I know you're not telling me something' pose." She nervously wiped at her mouth with her hand. "That rarely even works on perps, you know," she said smugly. She bit at the inside of her cheek when he didn't say a word. "I'm not hiding anything."

Frost quirked his head to the side at his fumbling partner as he regarded her silently.

"And that…," she swirled her fingers around his cocked head, "don't do that to me."

He shifted his weight and put his hands in his pockets. "I didn't do anything."

"Yes you did," she stared at the elevator lights, waiting to be saved by the down arrow; hoping for anything to break the uncomfortable situation she had just created.

"Relax, Jane." Frost chuckled. "Like you said, it's just dinner. Not like you two haven't done that a million times." Jane relaxed a bit as the corner of her mouth turned up in a slight smile. A wave of relief flushed over her body.

"It's not like it's dinner and a movie. That...would be cause for speculation," he laughed at the thought as the elevator doors opened and he moved inside. When he turned around he saw Jane's frozen expression. "Oh, shit," he mumbled as Jane slowly made her way into the elevator and turned around to stare at the closed doors with Frost.

She closed her eyes tightly, "It's not a big deal, Frost. There's just this movie she's wanted to see and this is the last week it's in the theater. She asked me, and I said yes. Not a big deal."

Frost nodded his head, "Yeah, you mentioned that. Twice."

"We've gone to the movies together before, Frost." Jane turned to look at her partner. "Let. It. Go."

Barry raised his hands in surrender. "Right. Not a big deal. Got it."

At the ding of the elevator, Jane slid through the doors as they opened. She silently waved her good-bye to her partner as she rushed her way to the cruiser. She had a lot to accomplish in a short amount of time. She glanced at her watch. _Shit. No time for a nap._

* * *

Jane covered her mouth with her hand as she tried to stifle the third yawn in as many minutes. She smiled as she shook her head in a silent apology.

"I'm sorry…I know you are tired. We should have rescheduled for another night." Maura patted Jane's hand that was resting on the table.

"No. No, I'm the one who should be sorry. I barely got any sleep last night, but I didn't want to miss this," she waved her hand around her, taking in the surroundings of the quaint bistro they were having dinner at before going to the theater. Maura smiled, happy that Jane was enjoying the evening so far.

Maura slipped her credit card into the leather folio and placed it at the end of the table. She took a moment to evaluate the detective's clothing choice for the evening as she let the final sip of wine slide down her throat. The new low-rise black jeans hugged the brunette's frame, accentuating all the right spots. She was sure they cost more than all the other jeans in Jane's closet combined. The attractive reddish-orange silky top clung deliciously to her chest, rounding out the new outfit.

"By the way, that's a lovely new blouse, Jane." Maura said with an alluring smile.

The detective scrunched up her face as she tried to deflect the doctor's praise of her new purchase.

"It's a shirt, Maur." Jane said as she pulled at the fabric on the front of the top with her finger and thumb and let it go.

"Why can't you just accept a compliment?" The doctor stated quizzically.

Jane shrugged and let out a puff of air. "I don't know." She watched the doctor, waiting expectantly. Maura sat quietly, nervously biting her lip. "Okay. Just say it. I know you want to." Jane grimaced as she waited for the doctor to continue.

"The jeans are a nice touch…" Maura rushed out before Jane had a chance to reconsider, "…they look **_very_** sexy on you." The doctor's eyes danced in the candlelight at the table as she watched Jane squirm in her seat at the unwanted attention. She leaned forward and patted the detective's arm, showing her appreciation of her shopping spree.

"Jeez, Maura…" Jane pinched the bridge of her nose, "It's not a big deal."

Maura's fingers went to her own chest, "Yes, it is Jane." She eyed the detective again. "You went shopping. For me." The last two words squeaked out as the doctor became a little over taken with emotion. She inhaled deeply as a thought struck her. "You should let me take you shopping." Maura's eyes widened as she thought of all the things she would like to see Jane wear. "My treat, of course."

Jane tried to mask the look of horror on her face as she shook her head, "No. No, I can't let you do that, Maura." She waved her hand as she tried to dismiss the doctor's excitement. "It's going to take me awhile to recover from this shopping experience, anyway. You know how much I hate to try on clothes." She mentally rolled her eyes at the 90 minutes she had spent at the mall after work. She looked at her watch in an attempt to change the subject. "Shouldn't we get going? I don't want to be late to the movie."

Maura narrowed her eyes at the detective. "Fine," she watched as Jane rose out of her seat and stretched her legs; still getting used to the feel of the new jeans. Her eyes slide down the detective's legs before coming back up to meet the brunette's gaze. Jane's hands landed on her hips as she watched the doctor blatantly ogle her body.

"Really?" Came the exasperated reply from the detective.

Maura turned to head to the door, but looked back at the detective over her shoulder. "Very sexy, indeed," she said as she failed to hide the shiver that ran down her back.

* * *

Jane pushed through the door of the theater and ushered Maura out into the cool, crisp dark night air. Maura's fingers found Jane's at her side and she tied their hands lazily together as they walked shoulder to shoulder towards the car.

"How did you like the film?" Maura asked.

Jane looked up to the full moon, squinting her eyes as she contemplated the doctor's question. "That was a lot of reading," she looked down towards Maura, "but it was good."

"I know how much you like a good mystery. I thought you might enjoy it." Maura continued to play with Jane's fingers in her hand.

"It was a mystery?" Jane feigned surprise, "I couldn't tell, what with all the nudity distracting me from the subtitles. The French sure do like their sex, huh?"

Maura failed to suppress the smile that spread to her lips, "I'm sure it was integral to the story line, Jane." She wasn't one-hundred percent certain, because quite a bit of the time her eyes wandered from the screen to the sight of the brunette next to her. She found the detective rather distracting tonight.

The detective chuckled at the smaller woman and moved them so that Maura's back was pressed against her car door. "If I had that much sex, I don't think I could concentrate long enough to solve any mysteries."

Maura looked into the deep brown eyes and breathlessly answered, "Or maybe…maybe you would be able to wrap up every homicide inside of 97 minutes." Jane reared her head back slightly to narrow her eyes at the doctor. "You could give it a shot, Jane."

A tease of a smile played at the corner of the detective's lips. Jane reluctantly let her fingers slide out of Maura's hand so that she could lean down slightly and put both of her forearms on the cool metal of the car on either side of the doctor's shoulders. She moved Maura's hair away from her ear with her nose as she tilted down to whisper, "I'd try anything for the good citizens of Boston. I am under oath to serve."

* * *

The theater was only a 10 minute ride back to Maura's house, but that seemed like an eternity tonight. The Mercedes floated through the streets of Boston, but much to the doctor's dismay they seemed to catch every red light. It did have its benefits, though. It gave her time to glance to her right to take in the sharp cheekbones of the detective as the red glow softly illuminated her features. Jane's face was much more relaxed on this car ride as she peered outside the windshield. Not nearly as intense as the night they left the club a few days ago. Jane hadn't uttered a word since they had entered the car and Maura suddenly worried that maybe Jane was having second thoughts. She reached her right hand over and intertwined her fingers with the detective's again.

"What are you thinking?" Maura stepped on the accelerator as the light changed to green. Jane turned towards the doctor and watched as she maneuvered the car through the minimal traffic that was out this late. The dim dashboard lights highlighted the radiance of the smaller woman's smooth, buttery soft skin. Jane's eyes flicked down to the doctor's slightly parted thighs as she drove.

Tentative fingers moved to the inside of the doctor's knee and slowly circled the exposed skin.

"I thought you said thinking was highly overrated?" Jane husked. She watched as Maura gripped the steering wheel tighter and let out a shaky breath through parted lips. Jane's hand worked its way up Maura's inner thigh, disappearing beneath the material of Maura's dress. Jane drew in a deep breath through her nose as her fingers explored the warmth of the doctor's skin.

Maura's eyes fluttered at the contact and she had to redirect her focus towards the road. The next red light was a welcome attraction as she slowed the car to a stop.

Her right knee subconsciously parted slightly to give Jane more access as Maura turned to look at Jane across the car. The detective's eyes were glued to her own as she opened her mouth to form a witty reply.

No words came.

Breathing was taking all of her brain's capacity at the moment. And even that much was difficult.

Maura's eyes flicked to the backseat of the spacious cabin of the car for a split-second before returning to the detective's face. Her eyebrows rose. A question, silently asked.

Jane's head barely shook as she saw the desire deepen in the doctor's eyes. She sat back slightly, withdrawing her hand back to rest on Maura's knee. "Drive the car, Maur," Jane directed as she nodded her head to the light that had already changed to green.

* * *

Maura slung her purse onto the table and quickly shed her coat. She made her way to the kitchen to catch up to Jane. "Would you like a drink?" She offered, already moving towards the cabinet that housed the stemware.

"Yeah, that would be great." Jane flung open the refrigerator door to grab a beer. Her brow furrowed as she scanned the contents. No beer. Not a one. She scanned her recent memory, unable to remember a time when Maura didn't have some type of beer on hand for her. She shook her head, astonished at the fact that as soon as they officially started seeing each other, Maura suddenly forgot to buy her beer. "Did I do something to tick you off?" Jane asked as she shut the door and spun around to face the doctor.

Maura smiled innocently at her as she made her way towards Jane with two glasses of wine in her hands. She handed Jane a glass as she feigned innocence. "No, why would you say that?" She darted her eyes to the side as she took a sip of the red liquid.

Jane looked at her and narrowed her eyes. "You're out of beer." She took a sip of the offered beverage. She had to admit. It was _good._

"I'm sorry. I'll have to remember to pick up some more next time I'm at the store."

The detective crossed her arms in front of her as she swirled her glass of wine. "You did that on purpose."

Maura batted her eyes at the brunette, "I…I didn't…," she gave up trying to make an excuse that she herself could believe. "I'm sorry, Jane."

Jane took a step closer to the doctor and let her fingers lightly caress the smaller woman's arm. "So you're telling me now that you expect to have your tongue halfway down my throat you all of a sudden don't want to taste beer?"

Maura looked up at the ceiling; resigned to the fact that she had been caught. "You are good. I'll give you that. No wonder you were the youngest detective to make the Homicide Unit."

Jane's face broke out into a cocky grin. "You're just lucky that you know how to buy really good wine." She motioned down to the glass. "I'll let it slide this time." She took a long sip of the deep burgundy beverage.

Maura's hand made its way to Jane's hip and she let her fingers explore the stitching, "I'll make it worth your while." She let her finger hook into the belt loop on Jane's new jeans. She tugged at it slightly. "I promise to make you forget why you ever started drinking beer."

Jane's wine glass landed with a thud onto the countertop as she suddenly decided she needed her hand for other uses. Her fingers wound around the back of Maura's neck and tangled into her hair as she pulled the smaller woman up to her as their lips met in a fervent kiss, warm lips and tongues sliding over one another in a heated dance. Maura's free hand grabbed a fistful of the front of the detective's shirt as she pulled the taller woman down to her level, as her other hand's grip on the belt loop intensified, allowing her to meld their lower bodies together. Her body craved more contact as it thrummed with excitement.

The chime from the clock on Maura's bookshelf caused Jane to pull away from the kiss slightly.

Maura moved her mouth to the shell of Jane's ear and whispered, "It's midnight. It's a new day." She could feel Jane smile as she ran her lips down the length of the detective's neck.

Jane tugged Maura's blouse free from the back of her skirt and let her hands trail up the small of the doctor's back, "It sure is." Jane stopped suddenly again as she looked around the dim kitchen, her eyes focusing on the back door for an instant. "My mother," she looked at the doctor.

Maura nodded her head knowingly, "Write a note and stick it on the back door," she said as she pointed to the drawer that held her pad and pens, "I need to get a few things ready, anyway," she pulled Jane down for a languid kiss. "Don't keep me waiting," she said with a wink as she turned to leave.

Jane stared, mouth gaping open for a moment before she shook her head clear and grabbed for the paper. She scrawled out as best as she could a note reading 'Maura's busy. Turtle is fed. Go back to bed.' She hoped to God that her mother was already asleep and would never get to see the note. She certainly didn't need her mother asking her why she was at Maura's house at midnight leaving notes on the outside of the door. Jane put the note up and locked the back door. She checked the front door dead bolt, as well, before she headed for the hallway. She paused and looked back to the old clock on the bookshelf. It was a new day.

She wiped her hands on her thighs and headed down the hall to Maura's bedroom door. She knocked quietly.

Maura silently opened the door and grabbed Jane's fingers as she ushered her into the dim bedroom. Three candles were the only illumination across the room on the dresser. Soft music filtered through the air. Jane smiled at the setting as Maura wrapped her arms around her waist, "Is this okay?"

"Perfect," Jane said into the top of the honey-blonde's hair as she placed a kiss there.

Maura's hands slid up the sides of the detective's torso, "Good. Because I want this to be perfect."

Jane bent her head down so she could trail her mouth along the doctor's neck, her nose tickling the sensitive skin there as she kissed the exposed skin, "Trust me. It already is." Jane captured the doctor's lips in a deep kiss as she let her hands explore the skin under the loosened blouse. She made her way to the back of Maura's skirt and eased the zipper down. Maura let it fall and kicked it off to the side, along with her heels. Her shirt tails covered whatever lacy undergarment she was wearing. Jane had a sudden burning desire to see what lay underneath so she ran her hand up the back of the doctor's thigh, bringing the blouse up with it to expose the white thong. The detective let out a shaky breath as her fingers trailed over the smooth bare skin of the doctor's backside. "Jesus, Maura."

The smaller woman took the opportunity to work at the buttons on the detective's new shirt. She tugged it free from the jeans and opened it to reveal a black lacy bra that she was sure Jane didn't own before today. She pushed the material back over the detective's shoulders, exposing the olive tanned skin. She let her hands roam the detective's shoulders and biceps as she let her eyes drift over Jane's chest as she watched it rise and fall with shallow breaths.

Jane's deep eyes were transfixed on the smaller woman. "Take your shirt off for me, Maur." Jane couldn't peel her hands from the doctor's ass and hip to do it herself. She watched as Maura seductively popped each button and let the blouse fall to the floor. Jane had to force herself to swallow once the matching bra that barely contained the doctor's breasts was revealed. "Oh…shit," she mumbled as her hands moved up the doctor's sides towards her chest. "As nice as that looks, I think I'd like to take it off of you." Maura grinned at Jane's obvious arousal.

"We need to level the playing field, first." Maura removed the shirt from Jane's arms and hung it over the corner of the back of the chair next to them. She locked eyes with the detective as she removed her belt, this time going painfully slow so she wouldn't slap the door behind them again. She leaned up on her tiptoes to capture Jane's lips in a kiss as she popped the button on her jeans and worked the zipper down. "Take your pants off for me, Jane," the doctor instructed. She held her hand out waiting as Jane shimmied out of the black jeans. She handed them to Maura. The doctor calmly folded them, pressing them smooth with her hand before she laid them over the back of the chair alongside the detective's shirt. A smile teased at the corner of her mouth as she raked her eyes over the matching black lace panties Jane was wearing. She leaned into the detective, hooking her fingers under each of the bra straps playfully, "I've wanted to see those clothes neatly folded alongside my bed all evening."

Jane rolled her eyes, "Of course. Of course you wouldn't want to see them lay in a crumpled mess on the floor like a normal person."

Maura chuckled, "I know how much you hate to go to the dry cleaners, Jane. I'm just trying to be thoughtful." She nipped at the detective's ear as she let her hot breath wash over Jane's neck. "I thought you would appreciate that."

Jane's eyes rolled into the back of her head as the doctor lavished attention on her neck, "I do. Jesus I do." Jane's hands quickly wound around Maura's back and she unclasped the bra and slipped it off the doctor. She latched her lips onto the doctor's shoulder as she kissed along the muscle leading back up to her neck. She let one hand work up along the doctor's rib cage towards her breast as the other hand's fingers gently pushed down the fabric of the thong. "Fuck, Maura. You're beautiful." Jane said as she leaned back to look the doctor in the eyes.

Maura swiftly pushed her thong the rest of the way down and stepped out of it as desire pulsed through her body at an alarming rate at Jane's words. She seized Jane's lips in a blistering kiss as her hands hastily worked to remove the detective's bra. Jane took over and removed it completely, never breaking the kiss. She didn't waste any time and pushed her own underwear down and stepped out of them, finally bringing their bodies together again. Warm, full delectable contact with no barriers, as flushed skin pressed against flushed skin.

Jane's hand wandered up Maura's back as she pressed their chests gently together. Her other hand cupped the doctor's taught backside and back down to her thigh. She gently tugged the doctor's leg open wider so she could shift her weight and put her leg in between the doctor's. She leaned down to the shorter woman's height and slightly forward so her flexed thigh pressed into Maura's center. The doctor gasped slightly at the contact as she fought the urge to grind herself onto the detective's thigh. Jane's breath caught as the evidence of the doctor's wetness on her own thigh was noticed.

She gently let her fingers trace the outside of the doctor's breasts as she bided for time. Maura's leg twitched as she had to remind herself again not to grind against the detective. She leaned in for another kiss.

"Jane…," she nipped at an earlobe as she whispered, "…tell me what you want."

"I want…," Jane moaned as Maura trailed kisses down the side of her neck, "I want to feel you…," she flexed her thigh, pushing it further into the doctor's center. Maura groaned at the increased contact.

"Tell me where you want to feel me," Maura murmured as she let her thumb ghost over a hardened nipple.

"I want to feel you…," Jane started and stopped again as Maura's fingers trailed over her ribs, inching lower towards her abs.

She took a steady breath and finished her sentence.

"I want to feel you inside me."


	28. Chapter 28

Maura walked out of the closet fully dressed, careful not to make any noise. Jane was sprawled out sound asleep on her back in the middle of the bed. She glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside table. It was just a few minutes after 5am. Darkness still filled the room, except for the natural moonlight that filtered through the tops of the windows. A fan of unruly brunette locks covered Maura's spare pillow. The doctor eyed the detective's naked form covered scantily by the crisp, white sheet. She looked so peaceful. A relaxed look on her face that Maura rarely got to see on Jane when she was wide awake. Maura internally patted herself on the back for being the one responsible for that serene look on the detective's face.

She moved to the master bath, careful to keep the light as dim as possible until the door was closed so she didn't disturb Jane. She checked her eye make-up in the mirror, lightly dabbing her lower lids in an attempt to hide the dark circles under her eyes from lack of sleep. She leaned back from the vanity and squared her shoulders as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Maura had always been an over achiever, even as a child. But in all the accomplishments and accolades she'd received, be it graduating at the top of her class in medical school or taking over the head spot in the coroner's office, nothing had given her more satisfaction or made her feel more powerful or fulfilled then when she watched Jane arch up off the bed as her body succumbed to Maua's touch and Jane finally let herself go free.

Quietly she searched for a matching pair of earrings. She found the simple pair of hoops and made her way out back to the bedroom, still struggling to hook the left one when she noticed the brown eyes staring back at her.

"Hey," the deep, raspy voice greeted her.

Maura made her way around to the side of the bed and sat next to Jane. She whispered, "Good morning. I'm sorry I woke you...I tried to be quiet."

"It's not normal to try and sneak out of your own house the morning after, you know." Jane said quietly as she motioned to the fully dressed woman in front of her. "I'm sorry about falling asleep last night, but this is ridiculous." She gave a half sorry, half teasing smile to the doctor.

"It's my fault for getting up to get some water after your...well, you know," Maura caught herself before she let the word 'orgasm' fall from her lips. She nodded to the untouched glass of water on the nightstand next to Jane. "You were exhausted."

"That doesn't explain why you are leaving." It was small, but Maura could hear a tiny hint of hurt in Jane's voice as she asked the question.

Maura leaned down so she could speak quietly, "Sorry. Korsak called. Apparent hanging was just called in. The uniforms at the scene don't think there was any foul play, but he wanted me to confirm it was a suicide before they moved the body." She looked down at the sheet barely covering the swell of the other woman's breasts _._

_So tempting._

Jane moved her arm up to put under her head and stretched slightly, the sheet moved lower on her body giving the doctor an even more tantalizing view. "I really am sorry about last night. You should have woken me up after…you know…" Jane's voice trailed away as she smiled at the doctor. Her body was still humming from the post coital high from just a few hours ago. A strange feeling, indeed. She can't remember ever having this strong of a response from any other sexual encounter. She felt empowered by the experience, not embarrassed like she had so many other times the morning after.

"It's alright, Jane." Maura looked into the slightly mischievous brown eyes intently staring back at her. "I'm not keeping score."

Jane sat up, clutching the sheet at her chest. She leaned her body up alongside Maura's on the bed so she was inches away from the other woman's face. The corner of Jane's mouth crooked up in a slightly devious smile, "Well, since we're not keeping score…" she let the sheet fall slowly from her chest and pool low at her hips, her nipples tightening as they met with the cool morning air. "Maybe you wouldn't mind taking a little extra time to get to the crime scene."

Maura let out a little gasp as her eyes traveled down the expanse of the exposed detective's body.

_So fucking tempting._

"I…uh…should probably get going." It was a weak attempt, at best. Her hand ignored the words as she spoke them and traveled to Jane's side, trailing up the smooth skin of the detective's ribs just to the underside of her breast. The doctor's eyes closed as her palm cupped the full breast. She could hear Jane's breaths become shallower as she leaned into the touch. "I really should go," Maura swallowed as she opened her eyes

"Please don't go yet…" Jane's voice was raspy and dripping with want. She gently pushed the sheet off of her lap, revealing the dark patch of curls between her legs.

Exposed. Vulnerable. Surrendering.

Maura leaned in slowly, closing the few remaining inches between them until their shoulders brushed together and foreheads touched. She wants Jane so fiercely it's clouding her judgment. She knows this, but she can't think clearly at the moment. Each breath she takes fills her senses with Jane's scent. She takes a moment to stall, trying to make her body obey her mind when Jane whispers to her.

_"Stay."_

That's all it took. She can't deny the detective any longer.

"Shit…," Maura murmured as she gave in to her body's desire and let her lips capture the detective's mouth in a tender first kiss. When Jane's hands made their way to the doctor's shoulders and the kisses grew in intensity, Maura knew she was in trouble. She deepened the kiss, letting her tongue seek out the inside of Jane's mouth. Her thumb ghosted over the stiff peak of Jane's breast as her other hand wrapped into the dark hair behind the detective's ear. Jane eagerly gave into Maura and let her body settle back down onto the bed again, pulling the doctor on top of her. She gently opened her legs, silently begging for Maura's touch.

"I need you," Jane husked into Maura's ear once the doctor's mouth moved to the taller woman's jaw.

"Jesus, Jane…," Maura groaned as two of her fingers drew through the detective's slick center.

"Oh…fuck, Maura." Jane moaned as the contact sent a shiver down her spine to her core.

"Shhh…," Maura silenced Jane by sealing her mouth off with a deep kiss again, "Keep it down."

Jane arched her back into the touch. "Why are we being so quiet? I'm sure my mother can't hear us in the guest house." She closed her eyes as she felt Maura' fingers curl inside her.

Maura ignored Jane's comment for a moment as she worked her fingers at a painstakingly slow pace, unsure how to bring up the topic she was hoping to avoid this morning. Instead, she poured everything she had into a passionate kiss as she worked the slow, deep rhythm, earning her a low moan from Jane's deep, raspy throat.

Maura watched Jane's face, her eyes closed, as the doctor drew her fingers out and slowly circled her entrance before going back inside, deeper than before. Jane let out a contented sigh as her hips moved in concert with Maura's hand.

"Please don't hate me." Maura whispered into Jane's ear as she curled her fingers one more time, "but this needs to be quick and quiet." Jane hummed her understanding, still keeping he eyes closed. She knew Maura needed to get to the crime scene as soon as possible. Her heavily lidded eyes slid open so she could watch the doctor above her. She could sense the uncomfortable crinkle in her brow wasn't due to the physical effort she was engaged in, but something else entirely.

Jane thought for a moment. What could be so important that the doctor was concerned about it right now, in the middle of this?

"Maur," she managed to get out as the doctor pressed tiny circles on her clit, "Ahh…god that feels good…," she momentarily lost her train of thought at the sensation between her thighs. She took a breath and started again, "Why do we have to be so quiet?" she whispered.

Maura curled her fingers again, making Jane grip the sides of her sweater as she pushed up into the doctor for more friction. She bit her lip and whispered, "Korsak's in the kitchen."

Jane's eyes flew wide open, in shock. Maura drug her thumb over Jane's nipple with one hand while the other continued to work between her legs. "It's okay," she leaned down to kiss the stunned woman. "I made a pot of coffee. He's just having a cup while I get ready."

Jane's eyes flew to the wall behind her to check the lock on Maura's bedroom door. Thank god it was locked.

"He offered to give me a ride to the crime scene since it was on his way. It would have been rude to refuse the ride." Maura leaned in to suck on the pulse point of Jane's neck. She slowly curled her fingers out of Jane to the tip of her fingers and then moved them back in as far as she could.

"You need to learn to be rude," Jane said as Maura slowly buried her fingers deep inside her again.

Maura stilled her movements, "Would it be rude if I stopped doing this right now?" She smirked as Jane's hips bucked up into her hand. She continued her strokes.

"Now's not the time to try new things, Maur." Jane said through clenched teeth.

The doctor leaned down, seductively eyeing the woman writhing beneath her, "I know. But I do have plenty of new things for us to try, detective."

Jane's eyes rolled into the back of her head at the doctor's words as she fought to keep the moan from ripping out of her throat. She was so close.

Maura continued with the slow, deep pace as she circled one nipple with her mouth and then the other.

"Oh god, I'm com…," Jane started and then bit her lip, remembering to keep things quiet.

She could feel Jane start to tighten around her, so she moved up to her mouth to smother the scream Jane was so desperately trying to suppress.

She held Jane as the spasms shook through her body, easing her back down into her pillow, peppering her face and neck with kisses. She reluctantly removed her hand and looked down at Jane and smiled at the sexually satiated detective.

"Please don't be mad at me for that."

Jane creaked one eye open, "Trust me, I don't think I can ever be mad at you for doing that to me."

Maura cracked a smile.

"But paybacks can be a bitch, Maur." Jane smiled as she snuggled back into her pillow.

Maura threw the sheet back over the detective and rubbed her shoulder, "I'll see you later, okay."

Jane nodded, too comfortable and relaxed to even open her eyes or utter a word.

Maura smiled at the form under the sheets as she exited her bedroom and made her way down the hall towards the kitchen.

Korsak was mid sip when he saw the doctor reenter the kitchen. He watched as she washed her hands at the kitchen sink and grabbed 2 travel mugs down from the cupboard. Lids screwed in place, Maura turned to him and nodded her head towards the door, "You coming, Vince?"

Korsak's mouth opened and then snapped shut. He pushed himself off the stool and took one of the cups from Maura.

"Sure. Let's go," he said with a smile.


	29. Chapter 29

Jane paused outside the Division One Café and waited for her mother to turn her back before she scooted past the entrance, avoiding her once again.

She figured she dodged a bullet this morning when she noticed the note still affixed to the back door. She tried to sleep after Maura left, but the nagging feeling of that note hanging on her back door propelled her out of the bed shortly after she heard Korsak's cruiser leave the driveway.

Hiding her relationships from her mother for as long as possible was nothing new for Jane. She'd done it many times before. She was a fan of putting off the eventual inquisition from her mother, even if it meant being slightly sneaky. It was juvenile, and she knew it. But any time her mother knew she was dating, she'd start asking her if 'he could be the one'. Those conversations always turned Jane's stomach. Having casual sex wasn't a crime, but her mother knowing about it made it feel extremely awkward and downright criminal if she wasn't planning on getting hitched and pumping out a grandchild for her.

Catholic guilt was an extremely heavy burden.

But she'd overcome that.

Disappointing your Catholic mother? That was something else entirely.

Not that she was worried about her mother's reaction to the change in her relationship with Maura. Quite the opposite, really. If the other night's reaction in Maura's kitchen was any indication, Jane was sure her mother would be thrilled that they were together.

She just didn't need any additional pressure at the moment. She and the doctor needed a chance to figure this thing out on their own, without the meddling Rizzoli matriarch. Or any other meddling, to be quite honest.

Jane silently rode up the elevator to Homicide. It was still early, and the station was relatively quiet. For that she was immensely thankful. She could use a few minutes to settle into the workday after the night she just had. It was hard focusing on anything other than the images of Maura seared into her mind from last evening. But she did have a job to do. She shook her head to try and clear mind, but that didn't erase the smile that was etched onto her features as she pushed through the doors to the unit.

"Morning, Sunshine," Frost greeted his grinning partner as she made her way over to her desk. She nodded a hello as she settled into her chair. She figured the less she said, the better.

Frost's eyebrows rose when Jane let the comment go without a backlash. He decided to push further.

"So, how was your evening with the doc?" He sat back, threading his fingers together and patiently waited for her answer.

"It was fine." Jane turned on her computer and shifted some papers around.

"Anything um...good...happen last night?" Frost delicately prodded as he looked at her over his monitor.

Jane fell back into her chair and crossed her arms as she regarded him. Frost sure had become brave over the last few days. Rather than be offended, she was actually impressed. It meant she'd done a good job training him. He had matured into a good detective...a great partner.

Oh, but he still had so much to learn.

She thought back to the clock last night that had struck midnight. Technically, nothing had happened last night.

"Sorry, Frost." Jane smiled as she watched her partner's smirk fall from his face. "Nothing worthy of scandalous station gossip." She took a sip of her coffee. She motioned her cup to the evidence board, "Any new breaks in the case?"

Frost burrowed his brow at her as he watched her get up and walk over to the white board. He wasn't going to let her off the hook this easily.

"You're not even going to tell me what you ate for dinner? Come on, Jane. You've got to at least convince me that last night was just a normal platonic evening among two friends."

She swirled around to answer him, but immediately her eyes adverted to the ground as she saw Korsak enter the unit.

"Um…morning, Korsak." Jane mumbled as she nervously raked her hand through a mess of dark hair. She turned back to the board and bit her bottom lip and squeezed her eyes tightly closed.

 _Fuck_.

Her mind flashed to the activities in Maura's bedroom earlier that morning. She was almost positive that Korsak couldn't have heard anything. Almost.

"Uh…hey, Jane." Korsak chuckled. "I'm surprised to see you here this early after the night you had." He nodded to the younger man, "Dr. Isles has got our little Janie here wrapped around her finger."

Jane squeezed out a puff of air as her eyes shot towards the ceiling. She almost hated to ask. She rubbed an uneasy hand down her face.

"What do you mean, Korsak?"

"It's got to be tiring reading an entire movie." Jane visibly relaxed at his words.

"Yeah…it was brutal," she managed.

Korsak turned to Frost, "Last night proved that the Doc can get Jane to do anything. I've been married 3 times and I've never been dragged into a foreign film!" Korsak laughed heartily.

"You guys just keep laughing." Jane took another swig from her cup. She'd been a police officer for over 10 years, but for some reason she felt like she'd had to dodge more bullets in the last 5 days than she had her entire career. She needed a break…and she'd only been in the office for 15 minutes. "I gotta get out of here. Call me when you guys are ready to do some real police work," Jane said as she headed towards the elevators.

Frost shared a knowing glance with Korsak as they watched her walk down the hall.

"My partner sure seems nervous, huh?"

* * *

Jane's eyes focused on the linoleum flooring as she pushed through the doors leading into the morgue. Her mind was preoccupied with the conversation from upstairs. Her pace immediately slowed as she noticed that Maura wasn't alone at the autopsy table.

The distinctive cadence and sound of the detective's boots on the hard flooring of the autopsy suite left no doubt who just entered her workspace. She continued her observation of the victim's ligature marks through the magnifying scope, not skipping a beat when she felt the presence of Jane enter to her left. The body to her right, however, immediately became tense. Sr. Criminologist Chang shifted her weight away from where she was currently pressed up close next to Maura as they observed the evidence. She nervously re-gripped the pen in her hand.

"Hello, Maura...Susie." Jane managed, the last word coming out a little tight. Clearly she was not thrilled that Maura wasn't alone.

"Good morning, Detective Rizzoli," Chang answered hesitantly. She was slightly afraid of the sometimes brash detective. She's not sure if she was being totally rational or not, but at times she sensed a strange vibe coming from the tall brunette. It was very unsettling.

Without breaking her concentration on the body laid out before her, Maura answered, "Good morning, Detective." Her eyes remained focused on the victim's neck, but she couldn't help the smirk that formed on her lips.

"Is there something I can... ** _do_** _…_ for you?" Her tone was deep, almost to the point of being sultry. It made Jane visibly squirm in the company of the other woman. She suddenly realized that she didn't have a work-related reason to actually be down in the morgue. She thrust her hands into her pockets and rocked back and forth on her heels a few times as she tried to come up with an excuse for her presence.

"I um...I need to talk to you about...that case." She offered, hoping that was a good enough excuse. She let her gaze scour the contents of a nearby shelf, as she tried to avoid eye contact with Susie.

Maura lifted her head from the corpse, and beamed at Jane, letting her eyes discreetly rake up and down the taller woman. "Which case is that, Jane?" She removed her latex gloves and tossed them into the trash. She placed her hands on her hips and waited for an answer. She was clearly enjoying herself entirely too much at Jane's discomfort. The detective's mouth opened and closed a few times as she tried to come up with an answer.

"You know...the one...," she ran a hand through her dark locks as she bided for more time to come up with an answer. Staring at the doctor in the black scrubs was apparently causing a case of temporary memory loss, because she couldn't for the life of her remember the name of any of her open cases.

Chang flipped her notebook closed. This was not the first time she'd been in this situation. Over the last several months, she'd become the master of awkward exits. One glance from Jane and she usually scattered faster than a mouse startled by a hungry cat. The joke in the crime lab among the technicians was that the sexual tension between these two women was thicker than a hazy San Francisco morning.

The fog horns were operating at maximum capacity today.

"I...um...should probably go check on those toxicology reports for you, Dr. Isles." Susie stuttered as she nervously pushed her glasses back up to the top of her nose.

"Excellent idea, Susie." Maura flashed her the professional smile, the close-lipped one she often received from the doctor. It was much different than the full, warm, relaxed genuine smile she'd seen the doctor give the detective repeatedly.

A gush of air left Jane's lungs as she watched Susie leave the autopsy room.

"That was awkward," Jane mumbled as she stared at the door Chang just closed. She rubbed at her chest, trying to calm herself down. "Thanks a lot, by the way," she said flipping her hand towards the closed crime lab door. "Throw me a bone next time, Maur." She relaxed a little as she let her eyes float over the doctor smugly staring back at her. "Those fucking black scrubs always leave me speechless."

"I think you make Susie nervous." Maura moved toward her open office door, motioning for Jane to follow her.

"Why would I make her nervous?"

Maura stopped just inside the doorway and turned around abruptly. Jane, who was following closely, almost ran into her. She stayed close and looked down at the shorter woman as she spoke.

"You're very territorial." Maura stated.

"That wasn't territorial," Jane grinned as she let her left hand settle on the small of the doctor's back. She worked her fingers under the scrub top and rubbed small circles just above the drawstring of the pants. "This," she husked as she let her fingertips slide under the top of the pants to lightly scratch at the top of the doctor's ass, "might be considered slightly territorial." She grinned as she let her fingers dip under the lace on the doctor's panties.

"I always wondered what you wore under those cotton bottoms."

Maura playfully pushed on Jane's chest, but not enough to make her move away. "You'd better keep checking." She raised an eyebrow. "Sometimes I don't wear anything under them at all."

Jane groaned at the thought of that as she leaned down to the doctor, unable to resist the urge to be closer to this woman whose deep hazel eyes seemed to have pulled her into a momentary trance.

She let her fingers run gently scrape along the inside of the scrubs to the outside of the doctor's bare hip. She watched as Maura's lips parted, her breaths becoming shorter as her fingers traveled along under her waistband, her thumb stopping to caress the front of her hip bone under the panties.

"Fuck," Jane hissed. "This is about to get entirely inappropriate for work."

Maura's lidded eyes dropped down to look at the hollow of the detective's neck that she ravished with her mouth during the night. She wanted nothing more than to let her tongue slide along the muscles of Jane's neck once again. She grabbed fistfuls of the white oxford just above the detective's belt, ready to pull her into the office and lock the door. The ring of Jane's cell phone caused both women to jump.

"Rizzoli," she barked into the phone as she flipped her hair out of the way. "Sure…I'll be right there." She ended the call and clipped the phone back onto her belt.

"I've got to head back upstairs. Frost's got some new information."

Maura nodded, her face slightly flushed from Jane's touch. "Okay."

Jane grabbed the door handle but turned back suddenly. She waved a pointed finger at the doctor, "We're not done here."

Maura exhaled a shaky breath. "I'm going to hold you to that, Detective."


	30. Chapter 30

The mid-afternoon lull hit Jane hard. She desperately needed another infusion of caffeine, so she made her way down to the café. It should be safe…her mother's shift ended hours ago. She filled her cup and started pouring in the sugar when the voice behind her made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

"Jane Clementine Rizzoli!" her mother broke the silence of the empty café as she emerged from the kitchen.

Jane cringed at being caught. She plastered on a fake smile before she spun around to face her mother. "Ma…what are you doing here? I thought your shift was over?"

"Stanley made me stay to help him with inventory." Angela crossed her arms and eyed her daughter suspiciously. "Have you been avoiding me?"

Jane's shoulders slumped. _Yes, yes I have._

"No Ma…I've just been really busy." She hated lying to her mother.

"Too busy to see your mother, but not too busy to spend last night with Maura?" She practically yelled the accusatory words.

"Ma!" She yanked her mother closer to her in an attempt to quiet her. That voice was great for calling out in the neighborhood to get the Rizzoli kids home for dinner when she was little, but not so great when she used it to bellow out who Jane spent her evening with to the entire station.

"Would you **_please_** be quiet?" She seethed through clenched teeth. She glanced around to see if any of the passing officers took notice of her mother's outburst.

"I know what you did last night. I ran into Maura earlier." Angela freed herself from Jane's grasp. She let her eyes roam over her daughter. "She told me all about your evening."

Jane felt the color literally drain from her face. She reached for a stool and slumped into it before her legs gave out on her completely.

"So romantic…," Angela wistfully took in a breath. She patted Jane's arm. "It was never like that with your father."

Another word from her mother and Jane was certain she was going to projectile vomit.

"God, Ma…please stop." Jane's head fell into her hands, letting a curtain of dark curls hide her mortified expression.

"Forty years with that man! You'd think just once…, " Jane's hands reached out once more as she grabbed for her mother's wrists.

"Oh for the love of God, will you please stop!" Jane shouted a little louder than she intended.

Angela stared blankly at her daughter, not quite sure why she was acting so strangely. "What? One night of a little mystery, a little romance…is that too much to ask?" She shrugged her shoulders, "Don't you think I deserved something other than action? That's all your father wanted…action, action, ACTION. I was so sick of it!"

Jane cowered at the table with her hand covering her mouth. She kept slinking lower and lower onto the stool, horrified at her mother's rambling.

"Oh my god, oh my god…" she mumbled repeatedly to herself under her breath. She really needed to start looking for a receptacle to catch the contents of her stomach.

"You don't know lucky you are, young lady." Angela said as she shook a finger at her daughter. "To have someone like Maura take you outside your comfort zone and open you up to a whole new world of experiences…"

"I know Ma, please just…just stop." Jane begged with pleading eyes.

"Oh, you act just like your father!" Angela put her hands on her hips. "I wish Maura would treat me to a night like she did you last night."

Her stomach clenched. A little bit of vomit actually did make it into her mouth.

"Does it really kill you to try something different like a foreign film?" Angela's arms flailed out by her sides in exasperation at Jane's reaction. "There is nothing wrong with going to see something other than all those big budget action films."

_Oh, the movie._

Jane was finally able to slowly breathe again.

"Rizzoli!" Stanley's head popped from behind the kitchen door. "This inventory isn't going to count itself."

"I'm coming!" Angela gestured to him with her towel. She turned back around to Jane.

"I guess I'd better get back to work." She eyed Jane a little closer. "You don't look so well."

Jane pushed herself up off the chair, "I'll be fine, Ma. Go back to work, I'll see you later."

Jane watched as her mother made her way back to the kitchen. She grabbed her coffee and headed towards the elevators, still feeling a little queasy from the conversation with her mother. Her eyes were glued to the floor as she trudged along the hall.

"Jane!" Maura called when she saw the detective. She walked up to Jane and concern immediately filled her features as she noticed the detective's pallid appearance. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah. I just need a minute." Jane tried to wave her off, but Maura instead pulled Jane into the family restroom located a few steps away.

"Splash some cold water on your face." Maura instructed. Jane immediately obliged and took the opportunity to suck in some cold water from the sink to clear the bad taste out of her mouth, as well.

She toweled off her face and hands took a couple of deep breaths. She rubbed lightly at her chest to try and make her heartbeat slow back down to an acceptable level as well.

"What is this all about?" Maura inquired, concern still evident by the wrinkle in her brow as she looked over the shaken detective.

Jane swallowed, "Just gave myself a mild heart attack when I thought you told my mother about what happened last night."

Maura's features softened. "Oh Jane, I wouldn't do that."

"I know." Jane rolled her eyes, "Or rather…I should have known." She rubbed at her brow, feeling a little ridiculous at having been so panicky.

Maura crossed her arms in front of her and regarded Jane for a minute. "You know, we could just tell everyone and be done with it. That way you wouldn't have to be so nervous."

Jane looked towards the ceiling and exhaled, "I'm not ready for that, Maur."

"Are you ashamed of being with me?" She teased, but a hint of worry was evident in her voice.

Jane's brow furrowed, frustrated at making Maura doubt herself. She steadied her gaze onto the doctor. "God, no!"

The adamant reply skyrocketed Maura's self confidence…maybe a little too much. "What are you afraid of?"

Jane's posture straightened. She shook her head, and raised a palm. She wasn't going to discuss it. Not here. Not now.

"I'm doing this for your benefit, Maur," Jane offered as consolation. "Just trust me on this."

Maura looked up into the tension-filled detective's eyes, "Hmm…," she ran a delicate finger along the underside of the detective's jaw, effectively wiping the scowl off her dark features, "…I can think of some other things you could do for my…um…benefit." Her eyebrows danced suggestively.

"Oh really?" Jane lightly chuckled as Maura removed her finger from under her chin.

A grin tugged at the corner of Maura's mouth. The teasing tone was back in her voice. "Are you afraid you won't be able to satisfy me…sexually?"

Jane's head flew back, surprised at her words. It took a second to figure her play. A smile crept onto her features, "You know…I'm not quite sure I have the whole thing down yet." She bit her bottom lip slightly, "Maybe you should show me a couple of more times. You seem to be an expert."

Maura took a step closer, her hip brushed against the taller woman. She lowered her voice, the words come out breathlessly, "I think you'll do just fine. Just trust your instincts, Detective." She ran her finger down Jane's hand and along her index finger and back up to her palm. Jane grabbed the doctor's wandering fingers.

She smirked, "But I want to make sure I do it right." She leaned in so her lips slightly brushed the shell of the doctor's ear as she whispered, "I'm a perfectionist, Maur."

"You have masturbated before, right?" Maura leaned slightly back to look at her, "You'll do just fine."

Jane winced at Maura's word choice.

"Jeez…could you please not say things like that?" She reared her head back slightly, suddenly feeling the awkwardness from earlier return to her stomach.

Maura shrugged her shoulders slightly, "What? Masturbation is a completely normal-" Jane cut her off with a finger to her lips.

"I know…but that's a real mood killer, Maur." Jane cringed. _God damn that woman._ She could make her libido go from 100 to 0 in an instant. Okay, if she was being honest with herself 100 down to 50...60 tops.

Maura's eyes brightened, "That's exactly why I asked you about your likes and dislikes the other night." She pointed a finger at Jane, "We could have avoided this if you had just been open about your inability to discuss sex in a clinical manner."

Jane buried her hands in her hair and tugged at the roots, "Argh…Maura." She squeezed her eyes shut and wished for mercy. "I thought that was a given."

Maura ran her hands down the sides of Jane's neck and rubbed at the muscles there, trying to calm her.

"You're tense," she reprimanded the detective. "You need to relax or you'll reinjure your neck." She stopped rubbing her shoulders and let her hands trail down Jane's long arms until her fingers came to the detective's wrists. She leaned in to whisper seductively into her ear, "I need you healthy… _for later."_

Jane relaxed a little. As frustrating as Maura's science-speak could be at times, one sexually charged sentence directed at her from the doctor's glistening lips could make her heart pound in an entirely pleasant way.

She playfully smirked as she leaned into the doctor's hair, "Umm, I don't know Maur." She breathed in the scent of Maura's shampoo. It smelled like heaven. "I'm kind of busy later."

The doctor's fingers played with the handle of Jane's gun before sliding down between the oxford shirt and the metal firearm to lightly knead the flesh at her hip. "Dinner…6:30…my place." She ordered as she peppered a few light kisses in front of Jane's ear.

"I can't…work stuff" her breath hitched as Maura's fingers dipped under her waistband. Jane countered, "How about drinks…my place…7:30."

The doctor's hand roamed as her fingers searched to find bare flesh. She locked eyes with the detective, "I'll get there early to chill the drinks." She let her fingertip swirl one painfully slow circle before she withdrew her hand. "Don't be late."

She watched in awe as Maura winked and turned to sashay through the bathroom door.

The confident click of the medical examiner's heels made Barry Frost's head snap to see the doctor emerging from the door as he stepped out of the elevator. "Dr. Isles," he greeted her with a flash of a smile. His eyes flicked to the illuminated arrow. "This one is going down." He offered as she quickly stepped inside.

"Oh, thank-you, Barry." She looked at him sheepishly, "I'd better get back to work."

He waggled his fingers to her as the doors closed. Out of the corner of his eye he saw his partner step out of the same door Maura had just left. He watched as she tugged at her sleeves and smoothed her jacket.

She made her way over to the elevators and silently nodded hello to him as she pushed the button.

Frost ran his teeth over his lip as he tried to suppress the grin. "How was your break, Rizzoli?"

They entered the empty elevator and Jane rocked back onto her heels as she studied the numbers on the wall, thinking back to the conversation with her mother. "It was a freaking roller coaster." She turned to look at him, "You ever had a break that was so exhausting that it made you feel like you needed to take another break?"

He smoothed his tie, unable to meet her gaze. "Nah…can't say that I have. Care to elaborate?"

Jane snorted lightly, "No." The bell rang, signaling their return to Homicide's floor. She stepped out, Frost following closely behind her. "Let's get some shit done. I've got a busy night planned."


	31. Chapter 31

She waited. Anxiously flexing her fingers, her eyes darted around the empty break room. She'd never done 'idle' well, never had. Her mind used to churn out different case-related scenarios in spare moments like this. No longer. Now, her thoughts tended to center around a certain medical examiner currently located in the morgue. She flexed her fingers again. _Dammit._ She needed to concentrate on work.

"You gonna get that?" Frost's words startled her out of her haze. His finger pointed to the blackened microwave.

"Uh…yeah." Jane reached for the door and pulled out her reheated coffee.

He glanced at her sideways as he rinsed out his mug in the sink, "You going to the Robber tonight?"

Jane shook her head as she exhaled, "No," she jutted her thumb back to the bullpen. "Remember that stunt I pulled earlier this week? The tampons in Crowe's coffee?" Frost chuckled at the memory as he nodded. "Cavanaugh is making me go to the high school's job fair tonight as my penance."

Frost winced, "That's harsh. Don't they usually make one of the uniforms go to that?"

"Yeah," she took a sip of her warmed coffee. "He said my punishment would have been lighter if he'd actually gotten to see the look on Crowe's face when he pulled them out." They shared a laugh; Frost's bright smile illuminated the room.

"What about after you're done? You going to stop by then?" He looked up at her expectantly. At times, Frost reminded her of Frankie. He had the enthusiasm of a young puppy. She hated to disappoint him.

"Nah," she said, "I'm just going to head home." She looked away, feigning interest in the vending machine selections.

Frost's face deflated. "Um…okay. What about Maura? Do you think she's coming to the Robber?" They always went together as a group on Fridays. It was a fair question.

She winced, "I don't think so." _Keep it short, fewer questions that way,_ she reasoned.

Frost leaned against the counter and studied his partner. He'd given her opportunities to set the record straight, and she'd always found a way to deflect. "You'd tell me if something was going on with you two, wouldn't you?"

"Jeez, Frost!" Jane's arms flew out from her sides. "Why is this so important to you?"

He straightened up immediately, "Because partners don't hide secrets from one another." He adjusted his tie keeping his eyes low. He looked back up to see Jane staring intently at him. "Because I've got your back, Rizzoli."

She pinched the bridge of her nose, torn between being touched by his sentiments or pissed at his butting into her personal life. "I know." She dropped her hand. "I trust you." She clapped him on the shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "It's just…" she stopped herself, not quite sure how to proceed. She wasn't ready for this conversation. She looked across the room as she hesitated. "Ah fuck…," she buried her hands in the hair at her temple and tugged in frustration.

Frost sighed. He felt slightly guilty at pushing his partner too much. He needed to lighten the mood…quickly.

"Listen, I'm sorry. That was rude of me." He shrugged nonchalantly, "I just thought if there was something going on I might be able to help you out. You know, cover for you if you…oh, I don't know…," he adverted his eyes, "…went missing for a little while for a quickie in the bathroom."

" ** _Really_**?" The disgust dripped off her voice.

She should have slapped that grin off his face he tried to hide, but instead she pointed a stern finger at him. "You **_really_** think I had sex with the Chief Medical Examiner in a…a…seedy bathroom at police headquarters?"

_Dammit_. She actually found it hard to get mad at Frost. She and Korsak had given him so much shit that she knew she was bound to get some back in return. He'd always taken their good-natured teasing in stride, so she knew she needed to buck-up and take it without being a bitch. She could take it, but that didn't mean she still couldn't dish it out, as well.

He looked at her sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders. She narrowed her eyes at him, "Why would I do **_that_** when she has a perfectly good couch in her office?"

Jane promptly turned on her heel and headed back to her desk, leaving Barry Frost alone in the break room with his jaw hanging wide open.

* * *

Jane trudged up the steps to her building, pulling the last few remaining pins out of her hair on her way. She shook out her curls and wrenched the fabric away from her neck. She found it hard to believe she used to dress like this every day. It seemed like a lifetime ago. She popped the top two buttons free, and yanked the shirt tails out of her trousers, making herself a little more comfortable before she pushed through the door to her apartment.

Maura faltered as she turned around at the sound of the door swinging open, knocked off balance slightly at the vision of Jane in her uniform. She certainly wasn't expecting that.

"Hey, Maura." Jane greeted her as she placed her gun on the end table. "I am _so_ ready for a drink after today." There was something comforting to coming home to Maura in her apartment. Jane liked the feeling, it made the stresses of the day instantly melt away.

Maura was distracted by the uniform, its color so similar to the darkness of Jane's eyes. The long waves of black hair that cascaded down her back were in direct contrast to the stark white t-shirt that popped out from under the undone buttons of her dark uniform. The casualness of the un-tucked shirt, missing tie and wild loose hair might be against department regulation, but Maura was certain that at that moment, she would willingly abide to anything Officer Jane Rizzoli might ask her to do this evening.

She looked… _good_.

No, that was a lie. Jane looked _fucking hot_ , if she was being totally honest with herself. She crossed the small apartment with her usual wide, confident, relaxed gait. The very feminine features hidden by the department issued masculine garb piqued Maura's interest more than she cared to admit. The look, the raspy voice…it just _worked_ for Jane.

"Hi, Jane." It was all she could manage.

Maura forced herself to take a drink of the wine in her glass, hoping the movement would camouflage the slight quiver that rushed through her body.

Maura had always found seducing potential suitors extremely easy. Almost too easy. One sultry glance or a pass of her tongue lightly drifting along her glistening lips was all it took to get her point across in the past. But tonight, she was paralyzed into inactivity. She was unable to think clearly in Jane's presence. It was unsettling to her how badly her body craved Jane right now.

"I didn't know you had to attend in your uniform," Maura stated, trying to keep the surprise out of her voice.

Jane pulled a beer from the refrigerator and leaned on the counter across from the doctor, "Yeah…part of my punishment."

She watched as Jane rambled on about her evening, her beer bottle an extension of her hand, waving and pointing around the room as she talked, like it was any other normal night. Maura's grip on the countertop tightened as she felt her self-control start to dwindle. She took a deep breath as she watched Jane's other hand casually slip into the pocket of her uniform pants, her thumb hooked on the outside. Maura's eyes traced the line of the royal blue stripe down the detective's leg.

Maura loved fashion. She appreciated expensive fabrics, the intricate detail of delicate stitching.

She was blind-sided by her new infatuation with 100% polyester and permanently pressed pleats.

She continued to watch as Jane described her evening at the job fair. Her eyes floated over the detective, in awe of her gorgeous friend. Jane was totally oblivious of the turmoil currently brewing inside of the doctor as Maura tried to concentrate on Jane's words, to no avail.

_So unassuming_.

It was a trait that Maura always marveled over…how Jane could be so unaware of her own beauty, intelligence, her inner strength and the effect it had on others. Unaware of the profound, crippling effect it was having on Maura's body tonight. She squirmed slightly as the pulsing sensation of heat between her legs became too much to ignore.

After a moment of silence, dark eyebrows furrowed, "Are you even paying attention to me?"

_Caught._

"A little too much, I'm afraid." Maura swallowed, a little embarrassed. "You're rather distracting tonight," her eyes floated down the detective's body, taking in the full expanse of the dark uniform.

Jane's gaze fell down her body, her palms out wide. "Let me go change, I feel ridiculous."

"NO!" Maura immediately covered her mouth, a little flustered at her own outburst. "No, please…you're fine." She smiled in an attempt to ease the internal tension she was feeling. "You look great."

"I look like a man." Jane's face sunk as she looked at the uniform.

Maura's head shook firmly, "No, you don't." She forced her eyes up to meet Jane's, "You look…," she searched for the right word.

Jane finished off the beer with one final swig. She took a step closer at Maura's hesitation. "I look…what?" Her tone was defensive, a hint of insecurity present as she leaned in closer and deposited the empty bottle on the counter next to the doctor.

Maura's eyes fluttered closed at the detective's close proximity, the heady aroma of hops and barley wafting in the space between them as she spoke. She could feel Jane's eyes on her as she contemplated her next words.

Her eyes snapped open when Jane yanked on the refrigerator door to her right, the sound of jiggling bottles of various condiments on the door pulling her out of the trance that Jane's closeness had created. The flash of cold air did little to contain the flush of heat that had rapidly ascended up her chest.

Jane twisted off the cap, the hiss from the bottle breaking the uncomfortable silence. She maintained eye contact as she took the first draw from the fresh bottle, still waiting for the doctor to finish her sentence.

Maura finally found her voice, "You look…sexy." Jane's face softened. She took another swig from the bottle before she set it on the counter next to the doctor.

"You think this is sexy?" She motioned along her body, certain that she must have misunderstood the medical examiner.

Maura's hands gripped the countertop at her sides a little tighter as she arched her back slightly, "Very," she said breathlessly. She bit her bottom lip as she felt the tight peaks stiffen under the lace of her bra. She let her eyes unabashedly rake down Jane's body. She was too turned on to try to hide it from Jane anymore.

A crooked grin tugged at the corner of Jane's mouth, "I never pictured you as the badge bunny type, Maura."

She'd endure the teasing. She was almost certain Jane would make it worth her while later. But she wasn't ready to give in quite yet.

"It's not the badge so much as the patches." Maura reached out and let her hand run over the embroidered stitching on the outside of Jane's arm.

"I see your badge every day," she worked Jane's gold shield free from the shirt as she spoke and set it on the counter next to the beer. "I've become immune to its powers."

She brushed her fingers along the thick, heavy material covering Jane's shoulders. Her fingertips floated over the cool metal of the BPD pin affixed to her collar. "But the rest…," she hesitated as she breathed in deeply, her chest protruding for an instant as she paused to maintain what was left of her composure, "I find extremely arousing."

"You find my uniform sexy?" Jane grinned as she leaned in to Maura, wrapping her hands around her hips.

"God, yes." Maura answered as she leaned in to the detective, finally able to let her hands roam over the detective's back and the cheap fabric that covered the flesh she so desperately wanted to dig her fingers into all day.

Jane moved in to cover Maura's lips with her own, her body pressing against her as all of their pent up desire from the morning spilled into the kiss. Her hands made their way to Maura's silk blouse, pulling it free from the constraints of her skirt. She needed to feel her skin. She needed to feel the warmth of her body as it flowed under her touch.

Jane's mouth blazed along Maura's jaw and down the side of her throat. Her lips were tickled by the doctor's deep groan at the detective's movements. Jane couldn't help but smile smugly into her neck at the sound.

Maura grabbed a fistful of Jane's shirt at the back of her neck to anchor her in place. "You're more confident tonight." A teasing grin formed at the corner of Maura's mouth, "Did you find time to practice?"

Jane's lips halted their assault alongside Maura's neck.

"Stop." Her mind flashed to their earlier conversation about masturbation.

She leaned back to narrow her eyes at the grinning doctor.

"I think it would be better if there were no words," she husked in her deep bedroom voice. Maura's nod was so slight, it was almost imperceptible. All Jane heard as her hand slid back under the doctor's silk blouse was the sharp intake of her breath at the contact.

Jane latched back onto the side of Maura' throat with her lips as her hand roamed over the lace of the doctor's bra. Her eyes frantically scanned the area around them. The kitchen counter was a possibility; the couch was an option, too. But for the first time, she needed the comfort of her bed.

"You…uh…want to...," Jane motioned her head towards her bedroom door. They've always been able to communicate via a touch or a look, this time was no different. Maura, the genius, was reduced to nodding dumbly back at her. Neither one of them had much use for words. They'd rather be doing other things with their mouths. Jane intertwined their fingers as they headed to her room.

"I've changed my mind." Maura declared as she entered Jane's bedroom.

Jane's eyes widened with worry.

"I am keeping score," the doctor said seductively as she ran a finger down from the hollow of Jane's neck and over the white t-shirt covering her chest. "I know how competitive you are, so I thought I'd give you a chance to…," she crinkled her nose, "…even things up."

Jane smirked, "Is that so?"

"I'm not too proud to admit that right now," she paused to take a breath, "I'm a more than a little hot…," her tongue darted out to wet the tip of her lip, "…and needy."

She watched as Maura stepped out of her own skirt and unbuttoned her shirt. Jane reached around and quickly discarded the doctor's bra as Maura pushed the material down and stepped out of her panties.

A gush of air left Maura's lungs as she landed in the center of the bed. Jane's hands fisted the sheets on either side of her head as she settled in over her. Her dark eyes blazed down at the doctor, full of hot, thick want. Her thigh pressed into the heat between Maura's legs. Jane shifted slightly, the buttons on the front pockets of her shirt teasing the doctor's erect nipples mercilessly. She hooked her hand behind Maura's knee and moved her leg, opening her up more fully. Maura threw her head back into the mattress at the new sensation as her jaw tightened. Her hips rose to grind into Jane.

Jane leaned down to whisper into the wisps of hair curling around Maura's ear. "The city of Boston entrusts me to help those in need," she circled her hips tortuously slow. "I hope you won't be disappointed."


	32. Chapter 32

Her eyes opened, but she was clouded in darkness. It enveloped her as every muscle in her arms clawed tightly at Jane's shoulder and back, her face buried in a curtain of long, dark waves at the detective's neck. Every ragged intake of breath was filled with a mixture of Jane's shampoo and the slick perspiration that covered her skin. Her abdominal muscles tensed again as her hips jerked uncontrollably one more time.

Her grip remained tight, clenched around the strip of fabric attached at Jane's shoulder as she eased her body back onto the cool sheets. She released a few long breaths as her heartbeat started to slow down to a more acceptable level.

"That was…," Maura huffed breathlessly, "…wow…I can't..." She smiled at Jane's bewildered look, "Sorry, I'm just finding it hard to come up with words to express-"

Jane's mouth cut off her rambling as she let her tongue gently slide along the doctors. She broke the kiss and smiled down at Maura. "I told you we didn't' need words."

Jane slid off of her and moved to the side, her head propped up by her hand as she gazed over the sexually satiated doctor. Maura finally released the grip she had on Jane's uniform. She ran her hand over the strip of material and tried to smooth it back into place.

"Who knew epaulettes could come in so handy?" she giggled, a satisfied wide grin in place.

Jane glanced to her crumpled uniform, the strip barely hanging on by the button that had been jerked loose.

"I don't think they were designed as a sexual aid, Maura." Her deep, raspy chuckle filled the room. She rotated her arm slightly and joked, "I think you might have dislocated my shoulder."

"Just let me know if you need me to examine that for you, detective" she teased.

A moment of silence filled the space as both women caught their breath.

Jane wiped at her upper lip, clearing away a light sheen of sweat. She swirled a finger around her shirt. "I hope you know I'm making you take this to the drycleaners. There is no way in hell I can face them and explain what happened to this." Maura's eyes glistened back at her, a bright smile overtaking all of her features. She nodded acceptance.

"I think I owe you that much."

Jane flopped on her back and stared at the ceiling, smiling.

Maura trailed her finger over the empty space above the right pocket of Jane's uniform. "You didn't wear your medal." Jane frowned and shook her head.

"You know I'm not going to wear it. I don't think I did anything courageous or heroic that day." She grabbed Maura's finger from the spot and squeezed it in her hand. "You were the true hero that day… you saved Frankie."

Maura shook her head in disagreement. "You should be proud of that medal. It's proof of how fearless and brave you are." She sat up and turned so she could look at Jane.

"I didn't think I needed to prove my bravery to attend a high school job fair," Jane deflected. She turned her head to face Maura. Loose, disorganized waves of amber locks trailed over the doctor's shoulders as she looked down on Jane. Her skin was still glistening. Perfect breasts were mere inches from her face.

Jane swallowed hard. She didn't think she was ever going to get tired of looking at a naked Dr. Isles.

The throbbing between her legs distracted her enough that she couldn't even remember what they had been talking about. She reached for the next button on her uniform and started to loosen it.

"I suppose if I want you to look at my fake shoulder injury, I'll probably have to remove my shirt, right?" Jane's eyes were dark, wild and willing.

Maura's hands stilled Jane's fingers before she got the button completely undone.

"Not so fast, detective." Maura's eyes had a mischievous glint. She drew in a deep breath as her shoulders shimmied slightly, "We're not even, and I'm not quite done with that uniform."

* * *

Frost slid onto the barstool next to Korsak. There was no need for a booth tonight, since Jane and Maura wouldn't be joining them. Barry flipped two fingers in the air towards Murray, indicating his usual order for a beer. He dug his billfold out of his pocket and reached in to grab some money to pay for his drink. He hesitated before he put his billfold back. He opened it up again and searched through the contents. His fingers grazed the crisp C-note for a moment before he removed it and slapped it onto the bar. He pushed it over to Korsak with one finger as he took his first sip of beer.

Korsak caught the movement out of the corner of his eye. "What the hell is this?" he said as he noticed the $100 bill.

Frost rubbed at his chin before shaking his head slightly. "I forfeit." Korsak leaned back on his stool to look him.

"What are you talking about, Frost?"

"The bet." He stared at his bottle, "I give up. You take the money."

Korsak grinned at the young detective. He pushed the $100 back across the bar to him. "I don't want your damned money." He studied the bubbles of foam on the inside of his mug intently before speaking. "What brought this on?"

Frost sighed heavily as he put his bottle on the coaster. "Jane doesn't trust me. It's probably because of stupid juvenile shit like this bet." He rubbed his brow, "Hell, she'd probably ask for a new partner if she ever found out about this." He turned to Korsak. "I need to earn her trust."

Korsak turned back to his drink with a faint smile. "She trusts you with her life." He waved down Murray and ordered two shots. "And I got news for you Frost…she'd take a bullet for you any day of the week." He lifted one of the shot glasses and nodded for Frost to do the same. Both men gulped down the brown liquid. Frost winced through the burn that tore a streak down his throat.

Korsak licked his lips, wiping the last remnants of the whiskey away. "What more do you want?"

Frost shrugged, "I guess I want her to trust me with more than just the professional stuff, you know?" He straightened his shoulders, "I want to be her friend."

"Jesus, Frost. If you're looking for a little girl-talk with Jane, you're barking up the wrong tree." Korsak chuckled, "She likes to bust your balls. Trust me…you're already in her inner circle of friends. That's just the way Jane is." He finished his beer as Frost watched him. "Jane doesn't do the emotional shit like most women. You should be thankful for that."

Barry slowly picked up the $100 and put it back in his pocket, still a little skeptical. "I'd still feel better if we just called the bet off, okay?" Korsak nodded before he tossed back a swallow from his fresh beer. "So we're good?" Frost wanted to confirm.

Frost still had so much to learn.

"Oh, we're good."

Korsak wiped the fresh foam from his mouth with the back of his hand as he stood to take a bathroom break. He hesitated for a moment before he sighed, making his decision. He put his hand on Frost's shoulder and leaned down to speak to him in a low voice, letting him know that what he was about to tell him was hallowed information.

"She'll kill me if she finds out about this, but…," He tried unsuccessfully to hide the grin that tugged at his mouth, "Jane's got $20 on you running back to Agent Farrell with your tail between your legs." He clapped Frost hard on the shoulder. "I like you, but you're going to need to strap your balls on just as tight as Jane if you ever hope to make it very far in Homicide, Frost."

His hearty laugh echoed through the bar on his way to the restroom.

* * *

A hum of contentment rippled down her throat as she freed her hands from Jane's mass of curly hair. She slowly slid her leg down the detective's hip and lazily watched as she traced the blue stripe of the uniform pants with her perfectly manicured foot.

She softly massaged Jane's shoulders for a minute before gently tugging on the shirt to coax her back up to her. She was careful not to pull on the one side too much that was hanging on by a thread. Jane moved back up Maura's slick body, willingly.

The doctor's mouth hung open, a smile tugging at the corner of her eyes. "That was… _incredible_." Jane leaned down and covered her mouth with her own, her nose bumping against Maura's slightly at the languorous kiss. The steamy, musty mixture of sex filled her senses.

Jane slid off of the doctor; exhausted. She rolled on to her stomach and buried her face in her pillow. "Are you trying to kill me?"

Maura ran her hands along Jane's back, pushing both shirts up towards her shoulder blades. She unclasped the bra so she had unencumbered access to the full expanse of the brunette's upper torso. Deft fingers traced mysterious patterns on the newly uncovered skin, drawing lines along her rib cage and settling on the sensitive sides of her exposed breasts pressed into the sheets.

Just above Jane's loosened trousers, she followed the line of the detective's backbone at a torturously slow pace with her mouth. Her lips grazed the skin so softly, Jane's flesh prickled at the tender touch. Her chest, still slick with sweat, pressed deliciously into the detective's back as she moved up the expanse of her body.

Jane whimpered softly when she felt the warm, wet heat of Maura's tongue dip along her spine. Fingers pressed into the mattress, sliding under the detective to cup her breasts. She moaned into Jane's back as she felt the taut peaks roll between her fingers.

Her voice came out an octave lower than usual as she spoke, breathless. "I've been reading in my medical journals about potential…," she paused for another taste of salty skin, "…treatment options for injuries to the shoulder."

Jane couldn't stop the deep throaty laugh that rippled up her chest. "Do they involve treating my fake shoulder injury with your tongue, Dr. Isles?"

Maura paused to smile, her lips still hovering over olive flesh as she gripped Jane's breasts more firmly. "If you can have a fake injury, I can have fake treatment options." She kissed and lightly nipped at a defined deltoid. "Do you have a problem with that, Detective Rizzoli?"

Jane hissed as swirling heat rolled from her teased nipples down to her pulsing core. "Not at all," it came out as a gasp. She turned her head slightly so Maura could see her trusting eyes.

"Heal me."


	33. Chapter 33

The heat from the sun that broke through the opened blinds explained the warmth Jane felt as it slowly moved across her face.  That was nothing new.  It’s how she normally woke up on the weekends.  No alarm, no commitments.  But the bundle of heat curled up at her side _was_ something new.  

She smiled, eyes still closed as she realized it was Maura snuggled up next to her.

She could feel the tiny wisps of breath wash over her arm each time the medical examiner exhaled.  She could tell by the methodical movements that the doctor was still fast asleep, utterly content in her slumber.

Jane’s eyes flew open as realization sunk in.

Maura _fucking_ Isles was snuggled up next to her.  

_Her best friend…_

_In her bed…_

Panic tugged at Jane’s chest.  _Why was she panicking now?_ Last night she had been confident.  Bold.  In **_fucking_** charge, for Christ’s sake.

But this morning…reduced to a nervous mess.  

_It’s the quiet,_ she tried to rationalize.  Her mind tended to race with rampant thoughts when not otherwise distracted.  Maura usually served as her distraction, kept her on track.  When she wasn’t with her, she thought of Maura.  When she was with her, she was so enamored with her that her mind went blank.  But this…this was new.  

This was unsettling.  

She turned her head ever so slightly to steal a peek at the smaller woman.  The morning’s rays bounced off of Maura’s hair, highlighting the blonde streaks.  Tiny freckles that Jane had never noticed before appeared on her shoulders, her eyes drawn to them like a flickering flame.  She was so peaceful as she slept, curled up into the fetal position, the sheet grasped in her hand.  Bare shoulders moved ever so slightly with each lungful of air.  _So fucking beautiful._   

She was gorgeous.  And perfect.  Refined.  Extremely intelligent.  

Flawless.

Jane looked down to her own scarred hands.  Not perfect.  Not flawless.  

The past week had blown by so fast Jane hadn’t had time to think.  She didn’t take time to analyze, to rationalize, or to study the ramifications of the change in their relationship.  

She had just let go.  She just indulged herself for once.  

So far it was the best decision of her life.  As long as things stayed the same, remained constant, she was sure she would be fine.  But if anything were to happen, _God help her_ , she knew she would be in a world of trouble.

Jane drew in a deep, shaky breath and let it out with a barely audible groan.  Big mistake.  The doctor stretched, her hands reached out and brushed Jane’s side.  Her eyes flitted open when she realized she wasn’t in bed by herself.

“Umm…morning, Jane.” Maura said through a yawn as she stretched one more time. She snuggled into Jane’s side, her hand snaking under the covers to rake over the detective’s stomach.

“Morning,” Jane mumbled, her eyes settled on the top of Maura’s head.  She tentatively moved her arm so her fingers could brush up against the skin of her exposed shoulder.  She needed to touch her, just to make sure it was all real.  Her breath quickened at the touch.  

Maura raised her chin so she could look at Jane’s face.  She noticed the increased breathing.  She inched her hand higher on Jane’s torso.  Jane reached out and stopped the progression of Maura’s wandering fingers.

“Hey…,” she gave the doctor a playful warning look, “I told you I don’t like it in the morning.”  Truth be told, she was so nervous right now she thought she could throw up.

Maura sat up a little bit and regarded Jane with a curious squint.  “Are you forgetting yesterday morning?”  Jane feigned a shocked expression.  “I believe you asked me for it and I obliged.” Maura pinched the flesh at Jane’s side.

“That does not count,” Jane squeaked as she swatted the doctor’s hand away.  Maura’s jaw dropped at her statement, amused at Jane’s protest.  She waited for an explanation.  Jane tried to regain some of her dignity.  “Technically, it was still dark out.  I count that as a very late night, not an early morning.”

A low laugh rolled out from Maura at Jane’s logic.  “So, what you are saying is that you are strictly a nocturnal fornincator?”

Jane groaned, “Jeez, when you put it like that it doesn’t sound very romantic.”

She pulled Maura closer to her and they both laughed.  She sighed in relief, happy to have something to take her mind off of what had been bothering her.

“We have all weekend.  I don’t want to run through my entire repertoire of moves before we have coffee,” Jane wiped at the sleep in her eyes as Maura’s body shook lightly with laughter.  

She chuckled breathlessly, “Oh don’t worry detective, I look forward to expanding your portfolio immensely.”  She looked up with sparkling eyes as she grinned devilishly.

 

“You scare me, Dr. Isles.”  She shifted as Maura’s hand grazed her upper thigh.  _Holy shit_ , this woman was going to be the death of her.

Jane’s phone vibrated on the nightstand.  With a groan she reached for it.  Her eyes scrolled over the message.   She grimaced as she discovered she had missed two calls while her phone was muted.  “Dammit,” she muttered as she read the message.

She looked down and frowned at Maura, “That was Frost.  We’ve got a body.  I need to go.”

Maura rolled partially on top of the detective, her face buried just below Jane’s chest.  She drew in a long slow breath as her arms squeezed at the lean frame beneath her.  Jane’s scent filled her senses and rippled into her veins.  It stoked the fire that was simmering between her thighs.

The doctor shook her head against Jane’s chest.  “You’ve got a body right here.  One that is getting warmer by the minute, I might add.  Why do you want to leave mine to go to another body?”

Jane chuckled as she wrapped her arms around the doctor.  “Hey, I don’t want to leave.  It’s not my fault that you’re not on call with me this weekend.”  She trailed her fingers over Maura’s back.  “And did I mention it’s a very nice body?”

Maura grinned at the compliment.  Her fingers tightened around Jane’s waist.  She hummed into Jane’s tank top, “I want you.”  

Jane could feel the heat of the words seep through the thin cotton material.  _Fuck_.

She groaned.  “But Frost wants me more.”  

Jane winced as she slowly extracted herself from under the doctor.  “I’m sorry.”  She made her way across the room towards her bathroom.  “They are already there, and I _really_ need a shower after last night.”

Maura propped herself up on the bed and looked at her, confused.  “You’re leaving now?”

Jane shook her head apologetically, “I’m so sorry.  Frost said it was urgent.  He said he needs my help.”  She reluctantly backed into the bathroom, slowly closing the door.

Maura scratched her head as she stared at the door.  A slow mischievous grin took over her features as she threw off the sheet and rose from the bed.  She walked towards the bathroom, her bare feet gliding across the hardwood floor.

“So, how do you feel about shower sex?” She called out so Jane could hear her on the other side of the door.

She heard the audible metallic click of the lock on the door.  Her mouth dropped open, confounded at the other woman’s reluctance to indulge her at least a little this morning.  She bit at the side of her mouth when the spray from the shower head started.  

“Jane…,” she searched for a reason to get into the bathroom.  She tapped her knuckles on the wood, “…I have to pee,” she pouted as she leaned her back against the door.

Jane paused as she pulled the shower curtain back, one foot already in the tub.  She smiled as she yelled out to the doctor, “Nice try, Maur.”


	34. Chapter 34

Her boots crunched through layers of fallen leaves and dirt clods on the narrow trail. She pushed aside a large branch with her left hand, only to be smacked in the face with a smaller twig from the right side. Dammit, she thought. Could this day get any worse?

It was bad enough that she had to rush out of her apartment this morning and leave Maura. Now she had to take a hike through the friggin forest to get to the crime scene. If Frost's message wasn't so damned urgent, she would have gladly stayed in bed.

She caught the first glimpse of the crime scene tape as she pushed through an old stand of evergreens. She stopped to lean on an old oak to catch her breath and slip on her boot covers and gloves.

The pompous voice off to her right caused her to wince.

"Good morning, Detective Rizzoli. Glad to see you could finally make it." Jane whirled around to look at the tall man with the perpetually smudged glasses.

"I was a little busy this morning, doc." Jane worked to slide into the other bootie, adverting her eyes. His relentless flirting lately had gotten tiresome.

"Well, you look stunning, nonetheless." Dr. Pike said as he hugged his clipboard. "Your skin is positively glowing. Must have been the brisk morning hike."

Jane straightened her shoulders and glanced around to make sure no one was close enough to hear. "No, I'm pretty sure it's from the marathon sex session last night. Too bad somebody had to get killed, cause I'm missing out on some more right now." She smiled smugly when she saw the slack-jawed expression on the incompetent man's face. She pushed up the sleeves on her blazer and turned to head to go towards the victim, calling over her shoulder as she left, "Let's see if we can get this wrapped up soon. I'd like to get back home as quickly as possible."

"Holy shit, Maura would love this." Jane glanced around the area, taking in the particles of gray matter splattered around the nearby trees. She squinted at the tree next to the body. Bone fragments were imbedded into the bark. Blood soaked into the dirt around what was left of the victim's head. The foliage of the underbrush was speckled with tissue and fluid from the blast that had blown the hunter's head into a million little pieces.

She did a double-take as she realized neither Frost nor Korsak were anywhere near the body. She whirled around to look at all the people who had congregated in the area for the investigation. She could see Frost sitting away from the commotion, his back leaning against the trunk of a tree. Not a big surprise. This was one of the more gruesome death scenes they had come upon in awhile. But the absence of Korsak was odd. She finally spied him off in the distance talking to what looked like an apparent hunter. Probably a witness, she thought.

Jane made her way over to Frost and squatted down next to him. He looked at her and gave a sickly nod to acknowledge her presence.

"Hey, sorry it took me so long. I must have accidently muted my phone. I didn't get your messages right away." She put a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.

He looked up, "It's alright. I didn't mean to be such a pest, but I couldn't look at that," he motioned back to the body with his thumb, "and for some reason, neither could Korsak."

"No problem. I'll take care of it." She stood up and brushed the dirt off her hands.

Frost gazed up at Jane, his face full of doubt, "I don't know that I'm cut out for Homicide." He clutched at his stomach. He raised his eyes to the sky and sighed, "Maybe I'm kidding myself. I should probably just go back to Robbery."

Jane dropped her hands to her sides. "Stop it." She looked at him sternly. "This is just a bad one, Frost." She motioned over towards the body, "I need you here. Just take a few minutes and pull yourself together. I'll come get you when I'm done." She saw something on her way into the hunting preserve that she thought might help him clear his mind. It looked like they needed to make a detour there before they headed back to the station.

She looked down the black hardened steel barrel of her gun and tightened her grip. It didn't matter how many times she fired her service weapon, her palms always got a little sweaty when the safety was disengaged. She squinted slightly as she leveled her eyes through the sights, taking aim at her intended target. She steadied her breath as her finger tightened around the trigger.

The blast tore through the silence as the bullet flew from the pistol, the shell flying free from the ejection port. Jane braced her arms against the force of the recoil and continued to pull on the trigger in quick succession until the magazine was empty.

She finally took in a full breath as she lowered her weapon, her gaze still on her target. A small smile creased her lips as she looked at the result of the fury she had just unleashed.

Frost's shoulders slumped in defeat again.

"If you brought me here to make me feel better, it's not working." He pulled the target back to take a closer look. "You could at least let me beat you at this after the crap morning I've had."

Jane smiled sheepishly at him, "Sorry." She had seen the shooting range at the entrance to the hunting preserve and thought releasing a few rounds might make Frost snap out of his funk.

She shook a bunch of shells out of the ammunition box and methodically reloaded the bullets into the magazine.

"You need to stop beating yourself up about getting sick at that crime scene. Hell, it happens to everyone every now and then. It's nothing o be ashamed of, Frost." She looked at her partner's slumped form. "You're a great detective. We're a great team. I couldn't do this without you." His eyes rose to meet her, skeptical of her praise.

"Yes you could. You would do just fine with another partner."

"No, I wouldn't." She shook her head, "We're going to go back to the station, and you're going to do your magic," she waved at his fingers, "thing that you do on the computer to prove that this was an accident or a murder." She looked at him, her eyes serious. "That hunter's partner killed his friend today, most likely by accident. But he's not going to be able to grieve until we have enough evidence to close this case and rule it an accident. You can do that. You'll go through both of their financials, their history, and all that other crap that I can't do in a fraction of the time anyone else can."

He looked at her, still not convinced. "So I'm good with a computer," he shrugged. "That doesn't make me a good detective."

Jane sighed deeply, her eyes searching the clouds above for proof to help Frost understand how good he really is at his job.

She lowered her head and looked him straight in the eyes. No more games, no more hiding.

"Well, you figured me and Maura out, didn't you?" Frost looked at her blankly.

Jane huffed in frustration. God Dammit he wasn't going to make this easy.

"You know the other day, down by the dock when we caught that witness?" He nodded his head, remembering the chase vividly. Jane continued, "And remember when I said that I'm not gay?"

Like he could forget that conversation. Frost looked at her; his eyebrows rose waiting for her to continue.

Her hands hung at her sides, the weight of the pistol in her left hand slapping at her thigh as she stalled before uttering the words that she had yet to say to anyone out loud.

"Turns out, I am a little gay." She waited for him to say something, but he remained quiet. "You got a problem with that?"

Frost pursed his lips and shook his head slowly. "Nope. I don't." He pointed to her left hand and smiled. "But even if I did, do you really think I'd say something while you're wielding a loaded weapon?"

Jane's face scrunched up in annoyance, "Oh for Christ's sakes, Frost! The safety is on."

They laughed for a second before Frost grabbed his gun and put it in his holster. "Let's get back to the station so we can wrap this up. I'm guessing you probably have plans tonight."

A few snags had kept them all in the office much later than originally expected. They were moving at a snail's pace, which was only worsened due to the fact that Korsak had zoned out all afternoon and had been no help at all.

She really didn't understand why he just didn't go home. He just sat there, like a statue gathering dust.

Jane looked over her monitor for the tenth time in what felt like 5 minutes. Korsak was looking at his computer, but the dull haze covering his eyes told Jane that he hadn't a clue as to what was on his screen.

She glanced around the unit to make sure no one else was around before she rolled her chair over to the older detective's desk.

"Vince…what's going on?" She placed a hand on his knee to force him to look at her. "Are you okay?"

Korsak wiped at his face, "It's nothing." He smiled at her meekly, "That scene this morning just brought back some old memories, that's all."

Jane's phone beeped with a text from Maura.

M: Dinner is ready. When will you be here? I've been waiting for you all day, Detective.

Jane groaned at her phone. Something about Maura calling her 'detective' made her stomach flutter.

She refocused on Korsak.

"Bad memories, I'm guessing." Jane waited for Korsak to look at her.

He sighed heavily, "Yeah." He shifted uneasily in his chair before continuing. "I had a buddy in the service." He swallowed as the sting of the mental image from so many years ago resurfaced. "We were marching along a ridge. It was rocky," he shook his head at the memory. "The soldier in front of me tripped with a loaded rifle. Blew the back of Jackson's head clear off. Just like what happened in the woods this morning."

Jane nodded sympathetically. No wonder he wasn't much help at the crime scene. She couldn't blame him for not wanting to be around that.

"Are we done here yet? I think I'd like to go to the Dirty Robber and maybe toss back a few in memory of Jackson. You guys want to join me?"

Frost nodded in agreement. Jane clutched at the cell phone in her hand nervously.

"Yeah. Sounds good. Let's do that." Jane quickly typed out response to Maura.

J: Going to be a little while. Can it wait an hour?

Korsak had beaten her to the Robber and was sitting at the bar with a bottle of dark brown liquid. Jane winced as she looked at the extra shot glass waiting for her.

Korsak poured her a stiff drink and slid it across the bar to her before refilling his own glass.

"To Jackson," he raised his glass to Jane and she clinked the thick shot glass to his before tossing back the drink. The whiskey burned a trail down her throat. She slammed the glass back down to the bar and closed her eyes as she waited for the burning sensation to weaken. Before she could protest, Korsak had filled her glass again.

She wrapped her fingers around the glass and licked the remnants of the first drink from her lips. "To Jackson." Her voice was gruff from the drink.

Korsak turned around slowly to face her. "Sorry I wasn't much help today." He motioned for her to drink another shot with him. She locked eyes with him as she tossed back the drink, this one going down a little easier than the first.

He wasted no time filling her glass back up with the strong alcohol. Jane breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Frost enter the bar. He stopped to talk to some other cops, leaving Jane alone to drink with the commiserating Korsak a little longer.

"That's okay," she turned back to him. "I can't imagine the things you saw over there, Korsak."

He nodded, "Yeah, it was brutal. I try not to think of it. But then something like this happens, and now it's all I can think about." He motioned to Jane to drink again as he tossed back another shot. Jane took just a sip from her glass. Visions of her hanging on the bar with a drunken Korsak tugged at her conscious. She needed to find a way to get out of here and back to Maura, as well as cheer up Korsak.

"Life is too fucking short, Rizzoli." Korsak swirled the liquid in his glass, "Enjoy it while you can." He looked at her still full glass. "You going soft on me, Jane?"

She shook her head. "Nah. Just don't feel like drinking too much tonight."

He sniffed as he looked at her, "Well, if you aren't going to drink with me, then you better tell me something good to get my mind off this crap going through my head."

Before she could think, the words rushed out of her mouth.

"I'msleepingwithMaura." Her eyes widened, slightly in horror at the ease at which the words slipped out of her mouth this time. Was it the whiskey, or was she just getting more comfortable with the idea of people knowing about her and the doctor?

Korsak looked at her blankly for a moment before a grin started to curl at the corner of his mouth. "If that's the case, then why are you sitting at a bar with me on a Saturday night?" He chucked her in the shoulder as Frost slid into the barstool next to him. "Go on…get the hell out of here."

"You sure?" She looked to make sure he was really okay with her leaving so soon.

"Yeah. I'll be fine." He looked over to Frost. "I'm going to see how many shots it takes Frost to puke like he did this morning. What do you think…five?" Frost knitted his eyebrows at his partners.

Jane looked at both men as she pushed away the remainder of her drink. "Nah. Twenty bucks says it will take at least six." Frost's lips curled up at his partner's confidence in his intestinal system.

"I won't let you down," Frost called out to her as she got up to leave.

She grinned at the two men as she backed away from the bar, "I know. You guys never do."

She hesitated to gather herself before she opened the back door of Maura's house. The doctor was at the oven, peeking through the glass to check whatever it was she had been cooking all afternoon. It smelled wonderful. Jane grimaced as she quietly closed the door behind her. She glanced around the kitchen, taking note of the fine china that had been set on the table. Candlelight reflected off the place settings and she was certain that the bouquet of flowers on the counter was fresh from Maura's trip to the farmer's market this morning. The one she had to go to without Jane.

Fuck.

"Hey." Jane tentatively called out as she leaned against the back door. "I'm so sorry it took me so long to get here." Maura turned around and smiled at the detective.

"It's okay, Jane. You don't need to explain your job to me." She sauntered over to where Jane was leaning against the back door. "I've been waiting for you all day." A mischievous grin tugged at her mouth as she ran her hands under Jane's lapels and along the crisp oxford shirt. She flattened her palms on either side of the brunette's chest.

"Are you going to make it up to me?" she asked coyly. Jane nodded, speechless.

Her hazel eyes were several shades darker than normal. She leaned in to Jane and stood up on the tips of her toes so she could brush her lips against the detective's. Jane's mouth opened, inviting the doctor to deepen the kiss.

Maura abruptly broke the kiss and leaned back slightly to look at Jane. "You've been drinking." Jane nodded, her eyes lowered away from Maura's gaze. She licked her lips, tasting the heavy liquor from the other woman's mouth. "Whiskey, Jane? When you knew I was waiting on you?"

"Yes." She breathed out. "I'm sorry about that, too." She pushed off the door a little, fully expecting Maura to be mad at her.

Instead of pushing away from Jane, like she half suspected, Maura grabbed two fistfuls of her shirt and pushed her back into door. The unexpected force caught Jane off-guard as her shoulders smacked into the glass behind her.

"What the hell-" she started, but her words were cut off by the doctor's mouth hungrily assaulting her own in a forceful kiss as Maura pressed the length of her body against Jane. The kiss was hard, fast and a little sloppy, but she'd be damned if she was going to complain.

She finally broke free of Maura's lips. "Jesus Maura…," she breathed out heavily while she had a chance. "What brought this on?" The doctor's hands made their way to Jane's belt and quickly worked it free. "Maybe I should go out drinking with the guys more often," she smirked.

Maura shook her head, almost unsure of the reason herself. "I don't know. There are so many things I find sexy about you but…," she paused to swallow, "I had no idea how much your loyalty turned me on until I got the text from Korsak." She greedily went in for another taste of Jane's lips before leaning back to look into the puzzled deep brown eyes. "He told me not to be mad at you for going to the Robber with him. He needed you, and you were there for him. And Frost today too, by the sounds of it." Jane shrugged it off nonchalantly and tried to move away from the door, but Maura pushed her back up against it again, the blinds slamming into the glass window.

"Ouch!" Jane cried out as the door rattled behind her. Maura tightened her grip on Jane's shirt. She ran her lips down the column of Jane's neck as the detective's head lolled back against the cool glass of the window. Jane grinned as the thought entered her mind.

"God…I would never let a man treat me this way," she chuckled through clenched teeth as Maura's hands trailed down her sides with a sense of urgency. She tugged the tails of Jane's shirt free from her pants. Maura smirked as she sunk to her knees in front of the detective. Her fingernails scraped down the back of the taller woman's ass as she looked back up at Jane.

"It's a good thing that I'm not a man then, isn't it?" She ran her tongue playfully along her teeth as she yanked down on the detective's trousers.

Jane's knees buckled slightly and her hands flew behind her against the door for some balance.

"Fuck, Maura," she hissed as she nervously glanced out the window behind her to the guest house. "My mother might see this."

The doctor's fingers blazed a slow trail up the bare skin of the detective's thighs. "She needs to find out sooner or later, doesn't she?"

"Umm hum," Jane hummed as her eyes slammed shut.

Just please, for the love of God…make it later.


	35. Chapter 35

So many people take a good night's sleep for granted. She used to be one of those people, before Hoyt. Before demons and human monsters invaded her nights and seeped into her dreams causing havoc every time she closed her eyes. Many nights she would bolt up from her sheets, eyes still closed scrambling for her gun as she gasped for air; still trapped in that temporary mental purgatory until her conscious mind woke enough to make her open her eyes and survey the familiar walls of her bedroom. Only after her eyes focused on the well-known surroundings would she start to relax, her breathing slipping back under control.

But lately? She's been sleeping like a baby. Waking up has never been more enjoyable.

It's the small bundle of comfort nuzzled into her side gently stirring that she most often wakes to now. The warmth and softness of the doctor's body lightly pressed up against her own relaxes her mind and body more than meditation or yoga ever did.

She felt Maura's body flex in a small stretch next to hers and the faint, but ever present little sigh the doctor always released as she woke.

Jane kept her eyes closed and fought the urge to wrap her arms around the doctor. She struggled to keep her breathing slow, and begged her heartbeat to remain thumping at a constant languid rate, even though its natural impulse was to start racing uncontrollably when the doctor rolled her body closer to her. Maura was so close, Jane could feel the tiny puffs of air reflect off her skin as Maura watched her sleep.

If anybody else watched her sleep like this, she would think it was creepy.

But with Maura, she loved it. It was sweet, it was reassuring.

Dammit.

She knew she was freaking whipped and they haven't even been together for a month.

She kept her body frozen in the bed, trying to maintain the illusion of sleep a little longer. It seemed to be a game they played with each other; Jane feigned sleep, while Maura tried to find the most soft and intimate way to wake her.

Last week, she caught Maura whispering almost incoherent words against her skin before she broke into a smile, ending the charade.

Yesterday it was the doctor's fingertips gliding along her ticklish ribcage that brought her down.

This morning, it was the combination of the gentle press of lips along the lines of her neck and the thumb brushing tiny circles along the swell of her breast that caused the corner of her mouth to twitch and the low moan to form in her throat.

"Good morning," the doctor purred.

Jane stretched. Her back arched a little, pressing her body more fully into Maura's, seeking more contact with that hand alongside her chest. "Mmm…morning." Jane smiled.

Morning sex? Sure seemed like a good idea now.

Maura ran her palm over the front of the rise in Jane's tank top and leaned down to give her a peck on the lips. She squinted her eyes at the digits on Jane's alarm clock across the bed. A small frown creased her mouth as the time came into focus. She reluctantly pushed herself up off the bed and stood to stretch, raising her arms over her head. Jane watched intently as her old t-shirt slid up along those toned thighs at the movement.

Her heart sank as Maura abruptly turned to get dressed.

Jane rubbed at the sleep in her eyes, confused. "Where are you going?"

The doctor shimmied into a pair of Jane's sweatpants before she turned around, "I need to go home and change." She looked at Jane expectantly, "I need to get home before your mother is up so she doesn't see me do the walk of shame into my own home."

The detective grumbled. Here it comes.

"You need to tell your mother, Jane."

Jane stared at the ceiling and sighed. "I know…it's just…," she groaned in frustration, "…this is so perfect. Why do we have to ruin it by telling her?"

Maura sat on the edge of the bed and shook her head slowly, "Do you really think she doesn't know by now?"

Jane ran her hands over her face, "Nah, I'm pretty sure she knows." Maura's brow furrowed in confusion. Jane sat up in the bed and ran her hand tenderly down Maura's arm, "You don't get it, do you?" She shook her head, obviously she was missing something. She always assumed Jane was worried about her mother not accepting a same-sex relationship, but apparently that wasn't the issue.

"Right now, it's just us. Just you and me…no pressure. I like that, don't you?"

Maura nodded, "Of course I do."

"Trust me, once she knows we're 'officially' together…there will be pressure and expectations," Jane's shoulders slumped.

Maura turned and raised Jane's chin with her finger so she could look her in the eyes. "Jane. I love your mother, and I'm pretty sure she feels the same way about me. You don't have anything to worry about."

The brunette slowly nodded her head in defeat, "Yeah…I know. I'll tell her."

"Today?" Maura's eyebrow rose. "It's going to be 80 degrees, Jane. I can't wear another turtleneck in to work to hide the hives in case I see your mother at the café. It's awkward."

Jane snickered, "No, it's hilarious because I overheard Frost and Korsak talking…they think your new affinity for scarves and turtlenecks is due to suspected hickeys." She smirked at the doctor, "It kind of makes me look like a stud."

"Jane!" Maura swatted at her playfully before she pushed her back onto the bed, lowering her body on top of the detective. She leaned down and kissed Jane deep and hard on the mouth before her lips trailed to the tender flesh at the juncture of Jane's neck and shoulder. She let her teeth sink in a little as she sucked on the salty skin. One hand pushed its way under the brunette's tank top as the other tangled in dark curls holding Jane's head firmly in place. Her knee found a home nestled between the brunette's thighs. A deep, satisfied moan reverberated through Jane's throat. She wasn't going anywhere, no matter the consequences.

When she was done, Maura licked her lips and looked down smugly.

"Enjoy having that oxford buttoned all the way up at work today, Detective."

She was starving. She and Frost barely had time to grab a quick slice of pizza at a convenience store for an early lunch as they ran down useless leads all day long. She breathed a sigh of relief when she got the text from Maura telling her to stop by her place for a special home-cooked dinner tonight.

Jane burst through Maura's back door with her normal fervor, a six pack in one hand and a bottle of red in the other. She squinted at the label as she joined Maura at the countertop, "I think this is the right one." She drew in a deep breath, "Damn, it smells good in here…" She set the bottles down and watched as Maura scooped up some liquid from the pan to test the flavor. She let one hand slide along the doctor's hip as she turned to look at her, "Is it you, or is it the sauce?"

Maura's eyes widened as she looked over Jane's shoulder.

"I'm pretty sure it's the fresh oregano-" the familiar voice rang out as her mother entered the kitchen. Jane's fingers recoiled from the doctor's hip at breakneck speed as she spun around to look at Angela.

"But then again…I'm sure Maura smells quite enticing, too." Angela brushed past both women and pulled the bread out of the oven.

Jane grabbed Maura by the elbow and walked a few steps out of earshot of her mother towards the dining room table.

"Oh my God! You invited my mother to dinner?" she said in a hushed panic.

Maura smiled, nervously. "Yes, I did. I know you were busy today and didn't have a chance to tell her, so I thought you could do it tonight."

Jane pinched the bridge of her nose, "I can't believe this is happening."

"You said you would do it today. I was just trying to make this easier for you." Maura put her hand on the detective's forearm, "I can't handle avoiding your mother, Jane. It's too hard. I feel rude. You have to do it now." She softened her voice, "You promised."

Jane stared at her, her face flattened.

"You tell her." Jane crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Tell me what?" Angela said as she set the plates down on the table.

"Me?" Maura's voice rose a little louder at Jane's petulance. "Don't you think you should be the one to tell your mother?"

"No, I'm good," Jane's look of defiance still firmly in place.

"Tell me what?" Angela repeated.

Exasperated, Maura shook her head at the detective. "Is this what you want to tell people down the road when you reminisce about this day? That you refused to tell your mother, so I had to do it." Maura rested her hands on her hips, annoyed at the tall brunette.

Jane looked around the room confused, "Who am I going to be telling about this night?"

Maura shrugged, flustered at Jane's cluelessness of the significance of telling her mother about them. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe someday in the future your child will ask you about this."

"Are you having a baby?" The words came out softly as Angela clasped her hands in front of herself hopefully. Jane's eyes widened in shock. Maura just opened the floodgates; there was no going back now.

Jane blanched.

"Oh, God." Jane stumbled back slightly into the counter. "I think I'm going to be sick."

Angela's eyes shot open, "Oh my God, Janie. Are you really pregnant?" Excitement washed over Angela's face as she grabbed Maura by the forearms. "Is she pregnant?" She shook the doctor slightly, waiting for one of the women to answer her question.

"No, Ma! I'm not pregnant." Jane practically shouted the words at her mother.

"Then why are you acting so strange?" Angela shouted back, the intensity in the room ratcheting up with the familiar loud Italian yelling.

"Maura turned me gay!" she blurted out in a rush in an attempt to quell the pregnancy discussion. Jane's hand immediately covered her own mouth in horror.

"WHAT!" Two sets of eyes turned to stare at Jane intently.

"I'm sorry. That came out wrong." Jane apologized profusely. "It's just the both of you talking about kids and pregnancy…," Jane covered her face with her hands as she attempted to regain her composure.

"I did not turn you gay," Maura's voice broke through the silence. She crossed her arms in front of her chest, "I merely helped you come to terms with some latent feelings and urges."

Jane's fingers slid down her face slowly. Fuck.

"Jesus, this is not helping things right now. Can we please talk about this later?" Jane asked through the side of her mouth.

Angela stared at the two women for a moment, her hands on her hips.

Angela Rizzoli speechless?

It was unsettling.

Jane took a deep cleansing breath and faced her mother, "Ma…Maura and I are a couple." She winced as she murmured half to herself, "At least I think we still are." She dared a glance at Maura out of the corner of her eye. She was pretty sure she saw a toe tapping impatiently.

"Ma…," Jane pleaded, "Please say something."

A grin tugged at the corner of Angela's mouth. "Do you really think I didn't know?" She pulled Jane into a hug, "It's about damn time you told me. Was that so bad?"

"Sorry, Ma." Jane breathed a sigh of relief as her mother released her and made her way over to give Maura a hug.

"I'm so sorry we didn't tell you sooner, Angela." Maura apologized.

"It's okay," Angela smiled. She jutted a thumb towards her daughter "You sure you can put up with her? Sometimes she can be a real pain in the ass."

Maura grinned sheepishly and stepped next to Jane, bumping their shoulders together as she grabbed her hand. Jane leaned down to whisper, "Sorry…that did not go at all like I envisioned in my head."

Maura straightened her shoulders and faced the elder Rizzoli, "I'm used to her abuse. Years of friendship have made me immune to her outbursts." She looked fondly at Jane, "I'm sure she'll make it up to me."

Angela's eyes brightened, "Oh, is this your first fight?"

Jane's face contorted in confusion. "I suppose so, yeah."

Her mother clasped her hands in front of her, "You know, Maura says that make-up sex is better than normal sex. Isn't that right, Maura?"

"Oh, dear God." Jane's head sank as she rubbed at her brow.

Maura tilted her head, "It's true. Make-up sex is 47% more likely to result in orgasm due to heightened arousal."

Jane's hands shot out to stop both women, "I'm not sure what you two normally discuss at your little morning tea and crumpet gatherings, but this topic…," she waggled a finger between the two women, "…or any other topic regarding sex or me, is now off limits. Got it?"

Both women nodded in unison. "Good." Jane brushed back her blazer as a hand settled on her hip, the other massaged at her temple. "I've suddenly lost my appetite."

Angela piped up, "I'll just leave you two alone. We'll chat more later." She made her way into the kitchen and grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and filled it with a scoop of pasta and a ladle full of sauce. "I'll just bring this back in the morning."

She made her way past the two women, but not before stopping to whisper to the doctor in a voice she was certain Jane could overhear, "But not too early." She winked to Maura as she pushed through the back door and gave a small wave to Jane.

"Oh my God," Jane groaned, a pained expression etched on her features. "My Ma totally knows we're going to have make-up sex tonight."

Maura couldn't contain the grin as she looped her arm through Jane's and led her out of the kitchen and on to the couch, "Get used to it. You're a fiery, hot-blooded Italian." She let her hands run down the back of Jane's neck. "We're bound to have more arguments." She kneaded at the muscles along Jane's shoulders.

"You're so tense, it's no wonder you have so many problems with your neck."

Jane's head lolled back as Maura worked the tension from her neck and shoulders. "That feels so good." A grinned tugged at the corner of her mouth. "I suppose you're going to try talking me into taking my shirt off again, huh?"

Maura stood up off the couch and pulled Jane up to her feet. She promptly removed her own shirt, revealing a skimpy lace bra. "I think you're fully aware of the benefits by now, Detective." Maura reached around her back and unhooked the clasp to her own bra before turning to head down the hallway to her bedroom, letting the lace hit the floor in the process. "You joining me?" she called seductively over her shoulder.

Jane nervously looked out the back door towards the guest house to make sure her mother wasn't staring out the window. Satisfied that the coast was clear, she chucked her blazer on the floor and starting undoing her buttons as she hustled down the hall after the doctor.

Moonlight filled the room; the aroma of oregano just barely perceptible in the air from the meal hours ago.

Jane moved to her side, and propped her head up with one hand so she could look at the doctor. "I get why I'm attracted to you," Jane said as she waved a hand to Maura lying next to her, "You're beautiful, intelligent, kind…the list goes on and on." Jane's brow furrowed in confusion. "What I don't get is why you were you drawn to me."

A small smile grew on Maura's features.

"You really don't understand, do you?" She questioned.

Jane shrugged, "No, I don't. I keep waiting to wake up from this dream only to have you realize you've been slumming it with me." Serious eyes stared back at the doctor, "I got nothing to offer you, Maur."

Maura rolled onto her side to face the detective. She let her palm slide down the bare skin of Jane's arm in an attempt to reassure her that this was no dream.

"You've given me everything, Jane. I'm the one getting the better end of this deal."

Friendship, companionship, family, acceptance, love…the list continued, running through her mind. All sappy things she knew Jane would scoff at if she said them out loud. A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.

"I feel honored, really," Maura started, "I know you rarely let anyone in, Jane." As expected, the detective grimaced at the compliment. Maura forged ahead, anyway.

"You're bold and intense, perhaps even a little edgy and untamed on the surface. But it's the hidden, qualities that I find most enduring. You have a surprisingly pleasant, softer side resting under that brazen exterior. You can be warm, surprisingly sweet…even mellow at times. Which all contrasts and complements your other attributes making you uniquely you, Jane."

Jane's eyes narrowed, suspiciously. "You do realize that you just described me like that bottle of French Pinot Noir you enjoyed so much, right"

Surprised at the truth in her statement, Maura chuckled lightly, "I know what I like, Jane."

"Me, too. We must be a perfect match, cause I love my beer rich, full of alcohol and a little nutty with some bite."

Maura swatted her arm playfully before she nestled against Jane's chest. Long arms wrapped around her, holding her close.

Maura chuckled and then stopped abruptly as the thought struck her. "Did you just indirectly tell me you loved me for the first time while comparing me to your favorite beer?"

Jane winced. "Yeah, I guess."

"Huh," Maura pondered the significance for a moment and then shrugged.

Jane squeezed her a little tighter. "I do love you, you know that, right?"

Maura smiled, "I do."

Jane's eyes widened, "Oh God…please don't tell my mother about this, okay? I'll never hear the end of it."

Maura played with the fingers on Jane's hand for a moment as she considered her request. "I promise."

"I'll probably do a lot more dumb, unromantic things. Think you can handle it?" Jane asked.

Maura nodded. "Yes, I think I can."

"Good." Jane rested her chin on the top of Maura's head. "Glad that's settled."

She rubbed her hands down Maura's arms, still not quite sure how she got so lucky.

"Just know that if you start comparing me to that cheese you like, it's over." Jane shot her a playful warning look, "You know…the one that's lumpy and pungent."

Maura rolled over and burrowed her nose into the crook of Jane's neck. She inhaled deeply, "I find your unique spicy aroma with a hint of lavender undertones highly addictive." She placed kisses up along Jane's neck to just below her ear. Perfect white teeth scraped along Jane's earlobe before she shifted so she could press her lips firmly into Jane's, her tongue diving in for a taste that was also uniquely Jane. She licked her lips, savoring the taste.

"I think we're good."

-The End-


End file.
